Tigray reviewed: Northern Ethiopia and the failure of the humanitarian collective (2020-2023)

Please find the report of the expert meeting here.

‘The international UN-led humanitarian system failed to protect the civilian population in Northern Ethiopia (Tigray, Afar and Amhara) between November 2020 and April 2023.’ This is the indisputable conclusion of the independent evaluation, commissioned by the Inter-Agency Humanitarian Evaluation Group, performed by HERE Geneva and published in early June 2024.

The world witnessed large-scale sexual violence and civilians dying of starvation, as humanitarian personnel were arrested, detained and tortured. The Ethiopian federal government was highly effective at blocking aid; at the same time UN Agencies underperformed due to a lack of leadership in the response and an absence of clear reporting lines and accountability.

These critical constructive conclusions of the HERE-study (based on 186 interviews, 44 focus group discussions and extensive document reviews) need careful reflection by the humanitarian sector. All the more, as we witness in Sudan similar mechanisms that prevent the humanitarian sector from building an adequate response.

• Ed Schenkenberg, Director of HERE Geneva and leader of the evaluation team.

Ed will kick-off the working session by presenting the main results of the study, after which we will have an open discussion.

• The UN-led response in Ethiopia was a failure. It’s time for accountability by Ed Schenkenberg in The New Humanitarian (published 5 June 2024).
• Inter-agency humanitarian evaluation of the response to the crisis in Northern Ethiopia at ReliefWeb / IASC (published 3 June 2024).

To join the session face-to-face please send an email to: kuno@kuno-platform.nl

To join the session online via ZOOM please sign up through this link.

– Picture Cordaid –