The United Nations Human Rights Council on Tuesday approved a resolution expressing “grave concern” over abuses in Ethiopia’s Tigray region and calling for the swift withdrawal of Eritrean troops which it said were “exacerbating the conflict.” The vote was 20 in favor, 14 against and 13 abstentions.
“In a resolution on the situation of human rights in the Tigray region of #Ethiopia, adopted today by a vote of 20 in favour, 14 against and 13 abstentions, the UN Human Rights Council expresses grave concern at the reports of serious human rights violations and abuses and violations of international humanitarian law and international refugee law allegedly committed by all parties in the Tigray region since the start of the conflict on 4 November 2020; and calls for the swift and verifiable withdrawal of Eritrean troops from the Tigray region,” UN said in a statement.
It said the Council also requested all parties to “comply with obligations under international humanitarian law to respect and protect all civilians, including humanitarian personnel and civilian objects, and all medical personnel and humanitarian personnel exclusively engaged in medical duties, their means of transport and equipment, as well as hospitals and other medical facilities, and to take all steps required to allow and facilitate the full, safe, immediate and unimpeded access of humanitarian actors for the delivery of humanitarian assistance to all persons in need, while respecting the humanitarian principles and applicable international law.”