The UN announced on Thursday that more than 500 rape cases had been reported in five clinics. of the Tigray region of Ethiopia.
The United Nations has warned that the actual number is likely to be much higher due to the stigma attached to the victims and the lack of health services.
“Women report being raped by gunmen, they also describe incidents of gang rape, rape in front of their family members and incidents of men being forced to rape their relatives under threat of violence.”Wafa Said, coordinator of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Ethiopia, told a news conference in New York.
According to her, at least 516 cases of rape were reported by five clinics in Meckele, Antigrat, Wokro, Sair and Axum.
“Given that most sanitation facilities are not operating and due to the stigma of the rape, the actual number is estimated to be much higher,” he added.
About 12 UN officials on Monday called for an end to attacks on civilians in Tigray, especially in connection with allegations of rape and “other horrific forms of sexual violence,” according to Reuters and the Athens-based News Agency.
Clashes in Tigray erupted in November between government troops and the region’s former ruling party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
Its prime minister Ethiopia Abi Ahmed has also claimed that troops from neighboring Eritrea were in the area.
The Ethiopian government is taking allegations of sexual violence “very seriously” and has sent an investigative mission to the region, Ethiopia’s ambassador to the UN, Tayye Atscheselasia Amde, told Reuters.
“Ethiopia is pursuing a policy of zero tolerance for sexual crimes and anyone held accountable for these heinous acts will be held accountable,” he said.
Eritrea Foreign Minister Osman Saleh Mohamed and Information Minister Yemane Gabremeskel did not respond to calls for comment.
“They left only with the clothes they were wearing”
The violence in Tigray has cost thousands of lives and forced hundreds of thousands more to flee their homes in this mountainous region of about five million people.
“Most of the internally displaced left with only the clothes they were wearing. They are mentally injured and tell stories about the difficult journey they made in search of safety. “Some describe walking for two weeks and others describing walking up to 500km.”
“Some of the people who traveled were said to have been killed – mostly young people – others were said to have suffered physical violence, women were raped, some were pregnant and gave birth on the street, resulting in the death of newborns,” she said.
The United Nations has sounded the alarm about the atrocities, and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has called these actions ethnic cleansing.
Ethiopia rejects its characterization.
This week, Abii admitted for the first time that atrocities, such as rape, had been committed, and vowed to punish those soldiers who committed crimes.
Dozens of eyewitnesses in Tigray have told Reuters that Eritrean soldiers systematically killed civilians, gang-raped and tortured women and looted their homes and crops.
Eritrea has not responded to requests for comment on allegations of atrocities.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
