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Added on the 15/12/2020 12:59:20 - Copyright : France 24 EN
A Qatari convoy with supplies for quake-hit northwest Syria arrives at Bab al-Hawa border crossing via Turkey. IMAGES
The representative for the Ethiopian government reads out a joint statement agree upon by both sides of the Ethiopian conflict. "The government of Ethiopia will further enhance its collaboration with humanitarian agencies to continue expediting aid" he says, as part of a successful peace process facilitated by the African Union in Pretoria SOUNDBITE
Ethiopia's government denounces claims from rebel groups that the capital Addis Ababa would fall under siege as "not true". In a virtual press conference, the spokesperson of the Prime Minister's office, Billene Seyoum, adds "There is an alarmist narrative that is creating much tension among different communities, including the international community, that needs to be effectively addressed." SOUNDBITE
USAID chief Samantha Power says that only 10 percent of the aid required by Ethiopia's war-hit Tigray is reaching the region, as humanitarian access remains hobbled by security woes and bureaucratic hurdles. SOUNDBITE
Martin Griffiths, a senior UN official, condemns "dangerous" accusations by Ethiopian government officials that aid workers were biased in favour of -- and even arming -- rebel forces in war-hit Tigray. SOUNDBITE
The head of the Ethiopian Red Cross Society says that 80 percent of the country's conflict-hit Tigray region is cut off from humanitarian assistance, warning that tens of thousands could starve to death. SOUNDBITE