"Global paralysis" at U.N. over Ethiopia war allows atrocities to continue unabated

United Nations — Ninety percent of the population in northern Ethiopia's Tigray region — or 5.2 million people — need urgent aid, the U.N.'s Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada al-Nashif told a virtual session of the U.N. Human Rights Council on Friday.

"Only limited U.N.-organized humanitarian supplies have been able to enter Tigray since July, including food and vital medical supplies," said al-Nashif.  

While the U.N. has met on the Ethiopian war multiple times, divisions between world powers have stymied any action to stem the bloodshed. The war started more than a year ago, when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's sent troops into Tigray to fight the rebels after an alleged attack on his forces. It snowballed over the course of a year, with the Tigrayans and allied militias advancing toward the capital city. Recently however, Abiy's forces have reclaimed towns north of Addis Ababa from the rebels, pushing the front line back toward Tigray.