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The famine in war-torn Ethiopia is spreading from Tigray, and hundreds of thousands are in danger

The UN warns that about 300,000 people in the Ofer and Amhara districts are suffering from severe food shortages, as the rebels advance.

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• Tigray

• Ethiopia

• UN

News agencies

Tuesday, 10 August 2021, 16:37 Updated: 16:41

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The region is experiencing a severe humanitarian crisis. A child suffering from malnutrition at a hospital in Tigray, last month (Photo: Reuters)

Hundreds of thousands of civilians are at risk of starvation in two provinces to which the war has spread in northern Ethiopia - the UN World Food Program warned yesterday (Monday) against the backdrop of the escalating conflict in Tigray province. Michael Danford, a representative of the global food program in Thigray A thousand civilians in these areas are at risk of starvation. Recently, the UN estimated that about 400,000 people in Tigray itself are facing similar starvation conditions.

Fighting in northern Ethiopia erupted in November, when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmad sent troops to overthrow the ruling Front Front for the liberation of Tigray. Abbey, Nobel Peace Prize laureate for 2019, said the military campaign was a response to frontal attacks on military bases and ensured a quick victory. However, the war took a dramatic turn in June, when the rebels recaptured the provincial capital and the Ethiopian army withdrew for the most part. Since then, the rebels have been able to advance to nearby dirt and Amhara districts.

Last week, the rebellious rebels captured the town of Lalibela, a town in northern Amhara, home to 12th-century rock-hewn churches, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

More about the war in Ethiopia

• Ethiopia: The rebels from Tigray conquered the town of Lalibela, a World Heritage Site

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The war map in Ethiopia (Photo: image processing, Walla system!)

Gizacho Molona, ​​a spokesman for the Amhara province government, said yesterday that there was "very intense fighting" in the city of Valdia, a critical crossroads leading north to Tigray, south towards the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, east towards Djibouti and west towards the Amhara province capital. He said the rebellious rebels had deployed heavy weapons in civilian areas. "The number of casualties is under investigation. There are already civilians killed and some houses destroyed," he claimed.

The rebels have denied harming civilians, claiming they are only trying to secure roads in northern Amhara to prevent government forces from reorganizing.

At the same time, the head of the UNICEF Children's Agency, Henrietta Four, said yesterday that she was "very concerned about reports of the killing of more than 200 people, including more than a hundred children, in attacks on displaced families" in the Ofer district last Thursday. "According to reports, essential food supplies have also been destroyed in an area where there is already an emergency of malnutrition and food insecurity," he said.Said Four.

However, she did not specify in her statement where the killings took place or who was behind them, and the agency did not respond to requests for further details.

The Ethiopian government's Twitter account posted a link to the statement yesterday, saying the victims had been "killed by the terrorist organization" and the Popular Front for the release of Tigray.

However, spokesman for the forces, Getacho Rada, tweeted yesterday that Pur's statement was "alarming", denying that the rebels were responsible for it and promising to "work with the relevant bodies" in any investigation into the matter.

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