NEWS PROVIDED BY
Dr. Tracy Scott
July 14, 2022

AFAR, Ethiopia, July 14, 2022 /Christian Newswire/ -- Nearly two years into a brutal civil war, with over half a million Tigrayans slaughtered and more than 900,000 estimated living in famine, the crisis now spreads to Afar, where hundreds were reported dead in recent days.

As ethnic violence escalates in Oromia, more news of genocide is reported as Tigrayans are forced from their hometown in Abala, Afar. Hundreds are estimated dead. Thousands of children have been separated from their families. Those not killed are being imprisoned under torturous conditions in Semera Concentration Camp.

People die from starvation and lack access to medication. Practically that means no isolation from diseases like COVID, pneumonia, malaria, and no medical intervention for easily treatable preexisting conditions, states humanitarian group, Health Professionals Network for Tigray. (www.hpn4tigray.org) People lack food, clean water, and shade from the scorching sun. Children, elderly, young parents–all are being lost to tragedy. Many souls have died and many are at death's door.

News outlets widely report the genocide in Tigray, but little is known about the Tegaru suffering in Afar, located on Ethiopia's northern tip. Local groups in the United States and abroad are working quickly to spread the word and bring aid to the estimated 15,000 still alive in Afar. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) estimates over 61,415 Tigrayan refugees have also fled Ethiopia to Sudan, since the conflict started in November 2020.

"Afar is not a secluded event; it is ongoing ethnic cleansing," said Alganesh, a 45-year-old Chicago resident who lost both parents in the recent genocide in Afar. "Imagine your heart being shredded to one thousand pieces again and again; my parents died three days apart."

The international community must recognize the inhumane treatment of Tigrayans in Afar and across Ethiopia who continue to be unlawfully imprisoned, subjected to sexual violence, burned alive, and starved through a defacto blockade, says HPN4Tigray co-founder Dr. Rishan.

Omna Tigray reports that 80% of health facilities were looted, vandalized, or destroyed, leaving a severe shortage of medical supplies. Children, pregnant women, and an estimated 120,000+ victims of sexual violence throughout Tigray are left without access to vital healthcare. (www.omnatigray.org)

"Abiy Ahmed, who sits as prime minister of Ethiopia, has had Tigray in the darkness of genocide for over 600 days," said HPN4Tigray co-founder Sela Gebremeskel. "It is time to turn on the lights."

For media interviews, please contact Dr. Tracy Scott to set up phone, zoom, or on camera with aid groups, humanitarians on the ground, or with Chicago resident, Alganesh, who lost both parents in the Afar crisis.

SOURCE Dr. Tracy Scott

CONTACT: 630-452-8738