Here Is The Full Text Of What WHO Leaders Said About Tigray Humanitarian Blockade That Has Infuriated Ethiopian Government

The Ethiopian government reacted angrily on Wednesday after the Director General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and the Executive Director of the WHO’s Health Emergencies Program, Dr. Michael Ryan , decried the humanitarian blockade in Tigray that has put millions of people at risk.

The two leaders spoke at a press conference following a question by Today News Africa 's Simon Ateba who asked whether the WHO had access to the region. Other health experts have also warned that patients were at an increased risk of death, including diabetes patients who do not have access to insulin.

Simon Ateba, White House Correspondent for Today News Africa in Washington DC

Question by Simon Ateba , White House Correspondent for Today News Africa based in Washington, District of Columbia: "Thank you for taking my question and Happy New Year. This is Simon Ateba with Today News Africa in Washington. Last week Dr Tedros talked about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Tigray and elsewhere in Ethiopia. On Monday President Biden spoke by phone with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed at the same time that the Government there was bombing women and children in Tigray. I was just wondering if you could give us an update, especially since more bombs are dropping on Tigray. Does the WHO have access, is there any other way that you can reach the people suffering there, dying? Thank you."

First response by Executive Director of the WHO’s Health Emergencies Program, Dr. Michael Ryan

Dr. Michael Joseph Ryan, an Irish epidemiologist, and the executive director of the World Health Organization's Health Emergencies Program, is one of the key experts leading the war against COVID-19

Thank you very much, Simon. I can begin and Dr Tedros may supplement. I think Dr Tedros' statement at the last press conference was very clear. The situation hasn't changed since then. If anything the situation has got worse so the simple answer to your question, Simon - and Happy New Year to you - is no.

Our access has not improved and quite frankly it's very upsetting here because we look at these numbers and we look at all of this but we've had contact from doctors working in Tigray, doctors working with patients with diabetes and other diseases and when you hear a personal report of the fact that we haven't been able to get basic insulin and diabetic treatments into Tigray since last summer, the end of last summer...

At one point insulin is almost entirely stocked out. The oral anti-diabetic drugs are almost unavailable. They're running out of IV fluids for managing diabetic ketoacidosis. The doctors and nurses in northern Ethiopia and Tigray can't even manage the most severe complications of a disease like diabetes which has catastrophic, immediate health consequences for people.

It's incredible as a physician, as someone who commits their lives to caring for others the politics of it are beyond me. The issue is that there are people, real people living in a situation, whatever the cause of that situation, who have no access to the very basic life-saving interventions that we in the West, that we sitting here in Geneva would expect immediately, instantly if we were to fall ill or sick.

From my perspective this is an insult to our humanity, to allow a situation like this to continue, to allow no access, zero access. Dr Tedros said at a speech at the last press conference that access is the lifeblood, the starting point for humanitarian intervention and we simply do not have that access, access for our staff, access to the field, getting basic medical supplies in there.

So it's truly important that all parties involved in this find a solution to allow humanitarian workers, doctors and nurses to do their job, which is to treat patients and save lives. And simply again, Simon, to be very clear, no, the situation is not getting any better since Dr Tedros spoke before, it's getting worse.

Second response by the World Health Organization Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus speaks at a special session of the World Health Assembly on Monday, November 29, 2021.

Thank you, Mike, and thank you also, Simon, for that very important question. As Mike said, the situation hasn't improved, it's actually getting more complicated and deteriorating. We just received, by the way, a letter from a physician who we don't know earlier today and maybe I'd like to read part of what he said in that message.

I am very sure that you have been following up the terrible and unimaginable stories of patients in Tigray that have been broadcast in the media. As to diabetes management we have not received any medication after June 2021. We have so far been using the stock we had before and starting from September we have started using expired anti-diabetic drugs - expired drugs.

And our treatment has recently focused on preventing acute complications. We have stopped being concerned about good glycaemic control and preventing chronic complications. We almost do not discuss about diet with patients as they have to eat whatever is available.

From the report we got from our pharmacy head we have learned that we are left with 150 vials of NPA and a few strips of glypanclamide and other drugs, of course, which he mentions.

He says, the sad part is, we have even run out of the expired drugs. The expired drugs are also finished. With a limited amount of drugs that we have we will be able to serve for only the next two to three days. These are the expired ones.

To make things worse we have run out of IV fluid so we're treating even moderate and severe DKA with free water - no IV fluid so free water. Anyway it goes on and on and on. I don't want to take your time reading all the message but you can see from this physician how desperate the situation is. Imagine because you don't have IV fluid you're using tap water.

I have said it before. Tigray, the region - which is a region, Tigray Regional State, in Ethiopia, with a population of seven million people. Its population is, by the way, almost equivalent to Norway and Estonia combined. This region has been under siege for more than a year.

Imagine a complete blockade of seven million people for more than a year and there is no food, there is no medication, no medicine, no electricity, no telecom, no media, nobody can report. And when there is no telephone I think accessing families is difficult.

No cash, no bank service and imagine the impact of all this on health. Lack of medicine has a direct impact and people are dying but lack of food also kills. And on top of that daily drone attacks are killing people. I think three days ago more than 50 civilians were killed, including children and yesterday more than 17 were killed. This is a daily event and people are living under constant fear and you can imagine how that impacts also the health of people, mental health.

When drugs are not available having all these wounded civilians - you can imagine where they can get the support or treatment - they can't. From our side we have been trying from WHO's side, trying to have access to some drugs to Tigray and the other areas affected by the conflict, Afar and Amhara regions.

We were permitted to send medicines to Afar region and Amhara region while we were not allowed to send to Tigray region. We have approached the Prime Minister's office, we have approached the Foreign Ministry, we have approached all relevant sectors but no permission.

So there is a blatant measure which has been taken - that's blockade - and siege for more than a year, seven million people and since especially July no medication was allowed from WHO, none whatsoever.

One thing we know is measles vaccines from UNICEF two weeks ago but I don't think measles vaccines would do anything. That's why I said last week in our presser, this has to stop. Humanitarian access even in conflict is the basis, the basics.

Even in Syria we had access, during the worst of conflicts in Syria. In Yemen the same, we have access, we deliver medicines. Here it's a complete blockade, especially since mid-July, nothing. This is six months without medical support, without food, without all the rest of the things I have said. It's impossible.

Of course I am from that region, I'm from Tigray, the northern part of Ethiopia but I am saying this without any bias. What I am saying is the truth. What I am saying is what's happening. What I am saying is, the situation is serious.

Nowhere in the world would you find a crisis like what you see in the northern part of Ethiopia, especially in Tigray, none. Nowhere in the world are we witnessing hell like in Tigray and the international committee has to do everything.

The basics is to have unfettered access whether it's food or medicine. Humanitarian access should be allowed at all times even during conflict. Even conflict cannot be an excuse because we're delivering medicine in conflict areas while the conflict is raging so that place cannot be different.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali address the media briefing at the conclusion of the Official Visit by the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia at the Union Buildings in Tshwane. January 12

Then the other part, of course, this thing should be resolved politically, peacefully. If there is a commitment to resolve it peacefully there is a way. There is a way to resolve it peacefully and politically.

We know that just respecting the constitutional order, the constitution would bring this problem into a peaceful conclusion and the most courageous choose peace. So ultimately it's a political solution or peace which is the answer.

But as I speak now we're deeply concerned from WHO's side. We have tried all our best but we're blocked from sending medicines to Tigray, Ethiopia and that's so dreadful and unimaginable during this time, the 21 st century when a government is denying its own people for more than a year food and medicine and the rest to survive.

I thank you and, Christian, back to you.

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Here is the full text of what WHO leaders said about Tigray humanitarian blockade that has infuriated Ethiopian government

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