For the first time in four months, a flight with aid supplies from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has reached Ethiopia's war-torn region of Tigray.
The plane with urgently needed medicines landed in Mekelle, the capital of Tigray, on Wednesday, the ICRC announced. Further flights and a convoy of trucks are planned.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has been accusing the Ethiopian government in Addis Ababa of blocking deliveries of medical supplies.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, originally from Tigray, spoke of the "hell in Tigray," saying the situation there is worse than in any other conflict area. The government rejected the accusations.
The multi-ethnic state of Ethiopia is threatened by disintegration due to a conflict with the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) that has been going on in the country for over a year.
The TPLF controlled Ethiopia for 25 years before being forced into opposition when Abiy Abiy was elected prime minister in 2018, after which they consolidated their power base in Tigray.
A dispute between Addis Ababa and the TPLF about the postponement of national elections due to the coronavirus pandemic led to the current violence.
Tigray went ahead with regional elections against the wishes of the national government, prompting clashes that have been ongoing since November 2020.
