WHO Director-General of the Center Adanom Gebregesos wondered “whether the world really pays equal attention to the lives of blacks and whites”, given that the ongoing emergencies in Ethiopia, Yemen, Afghanistan and Syria have gathered only a “fraction”. »Of global concern for Ukraine. He spoke at a virtual press conference in Geneva on Wednesday. Last month, Gebregesus said “there is nowhere on earth where the health of millions of people is most threatened” by the Tigray region of Ethiopia. Since a ceasefire was declared in Tigray three weeks ago, about 2,000 trucks could carry food, medicine and other basic items to the conflict-affected area, he said. By contrast, only about 20 trucks have arrived, said Gebregesous, a former Ethiopian and Tigrayan health minister. “As we speak, people are dying of hunger,” he said. “This is one of the biggest and worst sieges by both Eritrean forces and Ethiopian forces in modern history.” CLOCKS Refugee policies must be non-discriminatory, says UN official:
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Gebregesus acknowledged that the war in Ukraine was a global crisis, but asked if enough attention was being paid to other crises.
“I have to be honest and sincere that people do not treat the human race the same way,” he said. “Some are more equal than others.”
A “tragic” situation
Gebregesos described the situation in Tigray as “tragic” and said he “hopes the world will return to its senses and treat all human life equally”. He also criticized the press for failing to document the ongoing atrocities in Ethiopia, noting that people were burned alive in the area. “I do not even know if this was taken seriously by the media.” Earlier this year, the Ethiopian government sent a letter to the World Health Organization accusing Gebregesus of “inappropriate behavior” following his sharp criticism of the war and the humanitarian crisis in the country. The Ethiopian government said Gebregesus was using his office “to advance his political interests against Ethiopia” and said he was still an active member of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). Gebregesos was Ethiopia’s foreign minister and health minister when the TPLF dominated the country’s ruling coalition.
