ADDIS ABABA, DECEMBER 14, 2021 — Ethiopia requested the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to expose the destruction caused by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) terrorists in Afar and Amhara regions.
Yoseph Kassyae, the Director-General for International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, today held discussions with the heads of the UNESCO, Dr. Yumiko Yokozeki, and WHO, Dr. Boureima H. Sambo in Addis Ababa.
During the discussions, Ethiopia expressed its concerns over the reluctance of these agencies in revealing the damages caused by the TPLF terrorist group in Tigray, Amhara, and the Afar Regional States on the country’s cultural heritage and health facilities.
The destruction and looting of properties, including economic, social, and cultural assets by the TPLF have been a source of serious concern, said the Director-General, adding that the failure by the international community to condemn these terrorist acts emboldened TPLF to cause further plunder and damages.
He also said that Ethiopia, as a founding member of the United Nations, has long-standing relations with all agencies of the UN and thus expects these agencies to undertake their activities impartially, and speak out publicly about the destructions carried out by the terrorist group.
The heads of the two organizations in Ethiopia pledged to take Ethiopia's concerns seriously given their primary responsibilities in protecting cultural sites and the well-being of the people of Ethiopia.
But so far there has not been any public response from the UN agencies regarding Ethioipa's inquiry.
"UNESCO remained unperturbed and buried its head in the sand when Lalibela desecrated. WHO is dead for too apparent reason when 1000s of health facilities ransacked", said Redwan Hussein, State Minister, Political, Economic and Diplomacy.
The TPLF terrorists, in just five months, have destroyed more than three thousand health facilities during their occupation of parts of Afar and Amhara regions. In Afar, they destroyed 60 health centers while they ransacked 40 hospitals, 453 health stations, 1,850 health posts, 4 blood banks and 1 oxygen factory in Amhara region.
Dessie Specialized Hospital was established 80 years ago to serve 10 million citizens from Amhara, Tigray and Afar regions. It was the only specialized hospital in east Amhara. Unfortunately, it was looted and destroyed by the same marauding groups from Tigray.
Lalibela's 13th century rock-hewn churches, world heritage sites, were also under threat by the TPLF. Nonetheless, Ethiopia has not received the support it needed from the UN agencies in calling on the international community to condemn the terrorist group.
In fact, the recent move by the EU requesting the UN Human Rights Council to meet for a special session on Ethiopia without participating the Ethiopian government is indeed a spit in the face.
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