WHO boss suggests racism is why Ethiopia crisis gets little attention

The head of the World Health Organisation has suggested racism is the reason the crisis in Ethiopia’s Tigray region hasn’t received more attention, calling it the “worst humanitarian crisis in the world”.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who’s from Tigray, made an impassioned plea at a media briefing on Wednesday as he asked why it wasn’t covered as much as the Ukraine war.

“Maybe the reason is the colour of the skin of the people,” said the WHO director-general.

Millions in Tigray, a northern region of Ethiopia, are caught in the middle of a war between government forces – assisted by fighters from Eritrea and other militia, and forces loyal to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF),

There are famine-like conditions in Tigray and neighbouring regions and many people have been forced from their homes and cut off from the world since the conflict started in November 2020.

Human rights abuses and refugee violations and “extreme brutality” are occurring, according to UN, with both sides accused of torture, killing civilians, gang rapes and targeting people due to their ethnicity.

The government has denied targeting civilians.

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Some aid was able to get into the region earlier this year after the government announced a humanitarian truce but the situation remains extremely serious.

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More than 20% of under-fives and half of pregnant and breastfeeding women in Tigray are malnourished, according to the World Food Programme (WFP), with 13 million in need of food assistance across northern Ethiopia.

Southern Ethiopia is also struggling badly after the fourth consecutive failed rainy season, with the WFP estimating that 7.4 million people wake up hungry every day.

WHO emergencies director Mike Ryan, speaking at the same media briefing as Dr Tedros, also criticised apparent indifference about drought and famine unfolding in wider eastern Africa.

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“No one seems to give a damn about what’s happening in the Horn of Africa,” said Mr Ryan.

The WHO has urged $123m (£102m) to tackle health problems stemming from malnutrition in the region – which includes Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan.

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