United Nations: Another UN staff member has been detained by the government of Ethiopia despite the world body’s effort to seek the release of the nine staffers that have already been in custody, a spokesman said.
“A 10th person has now also been detained, so our numbers are up, not down, to 10,” said Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
“There’s no change in the numbers of the more than 70 sub-contractor drivers either.”
The drivers were under contract with the United Nations and international nongovernmental organisations to deliver humanitarian aid into the northernmost conflict-hit Tigray region, the site of a year-long rebellion that has since spilled into the neighbouring areas of Afar and Amhara.
All those held were detained earlier this week amid published reports the government was arresting members of the Tigray community outside the region.
The UN staffers are being held in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. UN officials said the drivers were detained while hauling relief cargo to Tigray and were being held in the Afar region.
“We’re continuing with our efforts,” said Haq.
“We’re pushing on all the doors that we can, but we have not made the progress that we would have liked to have made. That, of course, is also hindering our humanitarian deliveries.”
UN officials have said some 400,000 people in Tigray face famine-like conditions.
