Situation in Tigray (per 12 July)

  • UNOCHA has released a situation report on gender inequality in the conflict-affected areas of Northern Ethiopia, and especially Tigray. It states that 83% of health facilities are unable to provide maternal services and 50,3% of pregnant and lactating women are acutely malnourished.
  • The report provides with recommendations, including the urgent need to invest in health facilities and the priority to be given to measures preventing and responding to sexual violence.
  • USAID said restrictions on transporting fuel continue to restrict the delivery of vital humanitarian supplies to vulnerable populations in the Tigray region. The UN estimates that 2 million litres of fuel are needed every month to carry out humanitarian operations, but only 990,000 litres of fuel arrived in Mekelle by land from April to mid-June.

Situation in Eritrea (per 12 July)

  • Eritrea and Somalia signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen the bilateral relations of the countries.
  • The MoU signed by the two leaders concerns all the political and diplomatic aspects, and especially aims to “advance cordial relations, cooperation and economic integration in the Horn of Africa”.

Situation in Ethiopia (per 12 July)

  • Addis Standard reported that IDPs in the Amhara region are reporting higher rates of malaria, measles, rabies, chickenpox, significant food shortages and severe acute watery diarrhoea.
  • Cases of measles were reported in the Berehet and Minjar woredas as well as in two IDP sites (China camp and Woinshet site) in the town of Debre Birhan. Of 44 reported cases, 13 were positive two weeks ago.
  • Cases of chickenpox were reported at the Weleh IDP site in the Waghemra area. Over 380 cases were confirmed, 30% of which were children under the age of five.
  • OMN, a US-based Oromia news site, reported that wollo Oromos in Wayana Kebele, Jile Dumuga woreda, in the Wollo Oromo Special Zone, were attacked by ”terrorist Fano and Amhara militants”.
  • The OLA and OLF released a statement accusing Amhara police and militias of killing 9 civilians in  Jile Dumuga on 10 July.
  • AS reported that according to the Konso Zone Department of Agriculture in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Region, over 190,000 people need emergency food assistance over the next six months. 122,735 of them are drought-affected and 68,087 by conflict. 24,000 hectares of seeded land was lost due to non-seasonal rain.
  • The zonal warning came after 13 children died from malnutrition. 244 malnourished children are being treated and the number of children taken to the health centres of the three woredas in the zone has increased. Regional officials asked the federal government to take swift action.
  • Several sources in Addis Ababa say that there has been another wave of ethnically-motivated detentions targeting Tigrayans over the weekend. VOA also confirmed that Kibrom Berhe, opposition leader of the ‘Baytona Party’, was arrested in the capital.
  • The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has agreed to a contribution of 2 million euros to the “Ethiopian Humanitarian Fund” managed by OCHA Ethiopia.
  • AS reported that local police announced that Assosa City, the capital of the regional state of Benishangul Gumuz, was placed under a “temporary curfew” starting Friday, 8 July.

Situation in Sudan (per 12 July)

  • The head of the Sudanese Sovereign Council, Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan,  appointed five retired army and police generals as ambassadors to South Sudan, Chad, CAR, Eritrea and Libya.
  • Observers fear that the appointment of these ambassadors is a way for Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan to extend his control beyond the borders.
  • Organisers of the Khartoum sit-ins, which began 10 days ago, announced that they had dismantled two of their own camps on Monday 11 July.
  • The dismantlement took place before and after Eid al-Adha, a religious holiday when many people leave Khartoum for the provinces. Two other camps remain, despite a decrease in participation.
  • The African Center for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS), a US-based human rights group, calls on the Sudanese government to urgently end the harassment of Christian citizens.
  • Their call follows the 22 June arrest by police of four Christians in Darfur for the crime of apostasy. Apostasy was decriminalised in July 2021. The ACJPS reports that the authorities continue to harass Christian citizens.
  • The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) published a Country Brief on Sudan. It estimates that 11,7 million people suffered from food insecurity in June and September.
  • The FAO is concerned about the 2022 agriculture season due to inflation and weather conditions.
  • The UK government and the ODI published a report on the climate risks to consider in development planning. They highlight water scarcity, food insecurity, and infrastructure challenges.

Links of interest