Ethiopia’s Institute of the Ombudsman said People are dying due to famine caused by drought in Amhara and Tigray Regions.
The Institute announced in a report released yesterday confirming that 334 people died in connection with the drought in the Central Zone of Tigray Region.
The monitoring team confirmed during its tour the death of 91 people from famine in Abergele Woreda of Central Zone while 17 died in Isra Waadi Wojirat Woreda of South-East Zone.
The Institute said that a total of 351 people have been confirmed dead due to famine occured in that Region.
Furthermore thousands of people were displaced and a number of livestock died in connection with the famine.
Institute of the Ombudsman has also said that students numbering in thousands are not enrolled in schools and many more were reported to be dropped out.
Information taken through telephone from North Gondar Zone of Amhara Region indicates that 17 people and two children died from famine in Beyeda Woreda of the Zone. The Institute of the Ombudsman has also reported the death of two people in Ziquala Woreda of Wag Himra Zone of the Region.
The Institute confirmed that 21 people have died due to hunger caused by the drought in the stated areas.
According to the source, 23 stillbirths were also reported in Beyeda Woreda due to lack of proper nutrition.
Disaster Prevention and Food Security Program Coordinating Commission of the Amhara Region refuted the report saying that no one died due to drought.
There are people who left their place of residence, others who are mixed with the community and many more displaced but sheltered in make-shift shelters.
For example, there are 1,2270 people in WagHimra Zone in Abergele Woreda, and more than 9,100 people in the North Gondar Zone.
However, Disaster Prevention and Food Security Program Coordinating Commission of the Amhara Region said that there are no citizens who have been displaced by the drought and are in shelter camps.
It is to be recalled that the Federal Government and the Disaster Risk Management Commission have said that the claim about the loss of human lives due to famine is a lie and that the structural adjustment of the country does not allow the drought to turn into famine and destroy human lives.
