The Bishop of Coventry received the following written answers on 1st November 2022:
The Lord Bishop of Coventry asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the two-year conflict in Ethiopia on the (1) nutritional status, (2) mortality rates, and (3) educational standards, of children in Tigray.
Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Con): The UN estimates 13 million people in northern Ethiopia, at least half children, require food assistance. As of mid-2022, humanitarian surveys in Tigray indicated up to 30 percent of children malnourished and nearly 6 percent were severely malnourished. Risks of mortality continue, exacerbated by lean seasons, erosion of coping capacities and blockage of basic services. As of September 2022, it was estimated that 1.8 million children in Tigray were out of school, out of a total 2.4 million children in the region. Due to the pandemic, conflict, and drought, many may have been fully or partially out of school for three years.
The Lord Bishop of Coventry asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Report by the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia, published on 19 September; and in particular, the findings that (1) there are reasonable grounds to believe that violations, such as extrajudicial killings, rape, sexual violence, and starvation of the civilian population as a method of warfare have been committed in Ethiopia since 3 November 2020, and (2) in several instances these violations amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK welcomed the report of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE) and co-sponsored the resolution renewing the Commission’s mandate at the 51st Session of the Human Rights Council on 22 September. We are appalled by the reports of widespread human rights violations and abuses in Ethiopia committed by all sides to the conflict, which in some cases are likely to amount to war crimes. It is important that survivors receive comprehensive support and perpetrators are held to account. We are urging all parties to cooperate with the Commission’s investigations. Our Embassies in Addis Ababa and Asmara have raised these reports with the Ethiopian and Eritrean Governments, and the former Minister for Development did so with Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister Demeke on 19 October while visiting Ethiopia.
The Lord Bishop of Coventry asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the 18 month blockade of Tigray on the (1) nutritional status, (2) mortality rates, and (3) access to essential services, of the population of that region.
Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Since November 2020 humanitarian access to Tigray has been severely limited causing devastating impact on food security, access to care, and essential services. Limited access has also made data gathering and verification challenging. The UN estimates 13 million people require food assistance in Ethiopia due to the conflict in the north. As of mid-2022, humanitarian surveys in Tigray estimated malnutrition remained alarmingly high, with 55-80 percent of pregnant women and new mothers and up to 30 percent of children affected by malnutrition. Risks of mortality continue, exacerbated by lean seasons, erosion of coping capacities and blockage of basic services.
The Church of England in Parliament 
You must be logged in to post a comment.