February 9, 2021
The United Nations has raised concerns over potential “massive community transmission” of the coronavirus in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, amid displacements, conflict and a damaged health care system. In its first on-the-ground assessment from Tigray, published late Thursday, the UN described the dire humanitarian situation facing the region, where at least 2 million people are in need of aid. The report said hospitals, schools and other public service facilities have been ravaged since the conflict between Ethiopian forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) began in early November. Ethiopia has one of the highest COVID-19 caseloads in Africa, with at least 127,000 people infected. The Ethiopian government has not said whether it is receiving information on coronavirus infections from Tigray.
“The interruption of COVID-19 surveillance and control activities for over a month in the region, coupled with mass displacements and overcrowded conditions in displacement settings, is feared to have facilitated massive community transmission of the pandemic,” the report said. Only five out of 40 hospitals in Tigray were physically accessible, the report added, with four others reachable by mobile networks. The Ethiopian government in November announced victory over the TPLF, although the UN report confirmed that fighting was still ongoing.
More than five humanitarian workers have been killed in the conflict. It is not known how many civilians have died