Tomorrow, on 10 June, the European Commission and USAID will hold a virtual high-level roundtable meeting to discuss the deteriorating humanitarian and human rights crisis in Tigray, Ethiopia. Since the conflict started seven months ago, two million people have been forced to flee their homes for safety.
Furthermore, over five million people today are in need of most essential emergency aid and protection. Yet despite continuous calls for immediate and unfettered humanitarian access the delivery of assistance remains restricted, and violence against civilians as wells as destruction of hospitals, schools and religious buildings continues. Grave human rights and international humanitarian law violations continue to be reported, including starvation bringing the people of Tigray to the brink of survival.
This high-level roundtable meeting intends to highlight the enormous humanitarian emergency unfolding in the region, which has the potential of reaching tragic dimensions of human suffering not seen in decades.
The European Commission and USAID will foremost seek to mobilise bolder and concerted response by the international community in order to meet enormously growing humanitarian needs, ensure respect for International Humanitarian Law and prevent further atrocities against the civilians.
The high-level event will be co-hosted by Janez Lenarčič, Commissioner for Crisis Management, Jutta Urpilainen, Commissioner for International Partnerships, and Samantha Power, Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development. A high-level panel discussion with representatives of humanitarian agencies and NGOs will also take place that day.
The meeting starts at 14:30 CEST and can be followed live here.