Trucks Transporting Health Supplies, Humanitarian Assistance to Tigray – NDRMC

Twenty trucks have started carrying humanitarian assistance including food and nonfood items to Tigray and will be doubled soon on a daily basis, the National Disaster and Risk Management Commissioner, Mitiku Kassa said.

The Federal Government of Ethiopia has been playing constructive roles in facilitating the smooth movement of humanitarian trucks along the Afar route to address the humanitarian needs of the Tigray region, he added.

As a result, 17th March /2022, twenty trucks loaded with food items and three trucks carrying fuel tankers have started moving from Semera to Mekelle, he noted.

According to him, the number of trucks heading to Tigray will soon be 40 to 43  on a daily basis to maximize reach and address humanitarian needs in the region.

In addition, seventeen humanitarian partners are approved to transport medicine including vaccine, medical items and nutrition supplies to the Tigray region.

The daily update on the cargo airlift from Addis Ababa to Mekelle, more than eleven partners have transported 257,192 kilograms of medicine, medical items, and nutrition supplies.

Referring to WHO’S Director General, Dr, Tedros Adhanom’s allegation, that they didn’t get permission to supply medical supplies to Tigray Region, Commissioner Mitiku said that the allegation is baseless and unfounded.

The Commissioner noted that the World Health Organization (WHO) country office has requested the ministry of Health for the approval to send 95 MT of medicines and medical supplies. to Tigray Region,  from 21 March 2022 to 20th April 2022.

Accordingly, with in three days after the validation of the supplies, the ministry of health on March 14 wrote to us a support letter to assist their endevour, he added.

A week before WHO’s planned transportation of the medicines and the medical equipments we have written to them a letter of approval, Mitiku said.

Our response to WHO wasn’t in anyway late as they only plan to deliver starting from March 21, he said.

Source: Ethiopia News Agency