GENEVA: The World Health Organization chief said on Wednesday time was running out to avoid "genocide" in Ethiopia's war-torn Tigray, as Human Rights Watch called for sanctions against Addis Ababa to avert civilian deaths.
"The world is not paying enough attention," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters from WHO headquarters in Geneva. "There is a very narrow window now to prevent genocide in Tigray."
With the conflict nearing its second anniversary, Addis Ababa on Tuesday said it had captured three towns in Tigray, including Shire, which had a pre-war population of 100,000.
The conflict began on November 4, 2020, when Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops into Tigray after accusing the region's ruling Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) of attacking federal army camps.
His campaign has received the support of Eritrea, with which Ethiopia was at odds until a rapprochement that earned Abiy the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize.
A truce between pro-government forces and rebels this year lasted five months before it collapsed in August.
International concern is now swelling for those caught in the crossfire. The UN this week warned the situation was spiralling out of control and inflicting an "utterly staggering" toll on civilians.
Tedros, who himself is from the northern region and has repeatedly condemned the situation there, said he was "running out of diplomatic language for the deliberate targeting" of civilians in Tigray. "The social fabric is being ripped apart and civilians are paying a horrific price," he said. - AFP
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