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world news Diabierna 30 Juli 2021

World pledges $4B in push to repair COVID's education damage

(AP) — International gov- chairs the partnership, said bullet … that can solve vir-
ernments and companies the donations put it on track tually every problem that af-
have pledged more than to meet its goal of raising flicts humanity.”
$4 billion to educate 175 $5 billion over the next five
million children around years, Britain has pledged 430 mil-
the world and prevent a lion pounds ($600 million)
generation’s chances be- British Prime Minister Boris to the Global Partnership for
ing blighted by the coro- Johnson, who addressed the Education. But Johnson is
navirus pandemic. conference alongside Kenyan facing criticism for slashing
President Uhuru Kenyatta, the U.K.’s international de-
The commitments came has made girls’ education a velopment budget from 0.7%
Thursday at a conference in flagship project of his Con- of national income to 0.5%,
London hosted by Britain, servative government, and cutting around 4 billion
Kenya and funding organiza- is pushing to get 40 million pounds ($5.6 billion) from
tion the Global Partnership more girls in school around projects that help the world’s
for Education. the world by 2026. most vulnerable.

Former Australian Prime He told conference delegates The government says the cut sary because of the economic ic.
Minister Julia Gillard, who that education was “the silver is temporary and is neces- blow caused by the pandem-

US genocide expert to press Ethiopia on Tigray aid blockade

(AP) — The U.S. offi- nesses have told the AP this Abiy accused Tigray forces have died of starvation in the voys of 100 trucks each need
cial who wrote a Pulitzer has been the problem in Ti- of attacking a military base. world’s worst famine crisis in to enter Tigray every month
Prize-winning book on gray for months. Thousands of civilians have a decade. to meet needs and “so far
genocide is visiting Ethio- since been killed. Now the we’ve gotten one,” the senior
pia next week to press the While the senior official said U.S. estimates up to 900,000 Ethiopia’s government on official said. A second convoy
government to lift what insecurity preventing move- face famine conditions after Wednesday said it stands by was attacked in Afar earlier
the U.S. calls a blockade ment along roads could be Ethiopian and allied forces the unilateral cease-fire it this month. The U.N. on
on humanitarian aid to an issue, “what we’re see- destroyed crops, looted food declared in June as its mili- Wednesday said 44 trucks are
the conflict-hit Tigray re- ing is (aid) convoys being supplies and threatened tary withdrew, saying it was now trying to reach Tigray.
gion, where hundreds of turned around at check- farmers from planting. Food for humanitarian reasons.
thousands of people now points manned by Ethiopian prices are rising, while banks The government has said the The new U.N. humanitar-
face deadly famine. soldiers or their proxies ... remain closed. cease-fire will end once the ian chief, Martin Griffiths,
It’s not a question of being planting season in Tigray is on Thursday began a six-day
Samantha Power, adminis- turned around by Tigrayans. Recently Ethiopia’s govern- over, meaning September, Ethiopia tour and plans to
trator of the U.S. Agency for I think (the Tigray forces) ment accused humanitar- and already authorities are visit Tigray to meet with ci-
International Development, have been messaging very ian groups of supporting the supporting military recruit- vilians, the U.N. said, in an-
hopes to meet with Prime clearly they’re ready to sup- Tigray forces, making life ing drives amid concerns other sign of renewed inter-
Minister Abiy Ahmed, who port humanitarian activities.” more dangerous in a region over a new offensive. national pressure.
has asserted that “there is no where aid workers have been
hunger in Tigray,” and with Power has requested a meet- harassed and at least a dozen Abiy’s spokeswoman, Billene Because of the fighting, Pow-
senior officials who blame ing with Ethiopia’s prime killed. Seyoum, accused Tigray forc- er is “not permitted” to travel
the aid blockade on rival Ti- minister, who won the Nobel es of blocking the delivery of to Tigray, the senior USAID
gray forces who have retaken Peace Prize in 2019 for re- The U.S. earlier imposed aid aid. “The international com- official said.
much of the region and vow storing ties with neighboring cuts and visa restrictions over munity has been shockingly
to pursue “enemies” beyond Eritrea but has since joined the Tigray crisis, angering mute” on the Tigray forces’ And while Power has been
its borders. forces with Eritrea to wage Ethiopian officials, and Pow- actions, which include cross- outspoken about Tigray, she
war in the Tigray region after er’s visit will warn of “con- ing into the Afar and neigh- will not use the word “geno-
The Ethiopian government’s a political falling-out with the tinuing consequences” for boring Amhara regions, she cide” in referring to the re-
assertion that Tigray forces region’s leaders. The conflict the government, the senior said. gion because the U.S. State
are to blame is “100% not is now spreading into neigh- official said. There were no Department is determining
the case,” a senior USAID boring regions in Africa’s sec- details, but “the longer that The Tigray forces this week what legal term to use for
official told The Associated ond most populous country, this blockage goes on, the said the establishment of what’s occurring there, the
Press, adding that “our pri- long a key U.S. security ally. more likely we are to see ad- multiple humanitarian aid senior official said.
mary obstacle is the govern- ditional punitive measures.” corridors is a precondition
ment.” The official was not Some 6 million Tigray resi- for talks on a negotiated “Certainly, ethnic targeting
authorized to discuss the dents have been caught in Tigray remains almost com- cease-fire. of Tigrayans, the rhetoric
matter by name and spoke on the fighting since the war pletely cut off from the out- seen from Abiy recently, re-
condition of anonymity. Wit- began in November, when side world. The United Na- Power during her visit will ally dehumanizing rhetoric
tions has said some 200 aid- press for “overland access” about his own citizens, is
laden trucks are “stuck” in for aid, the senior USAID of- very concerning and certainly
Ethiopia’s neighboring Afar ficial told the AP. While she reminiscent of other conflicts
region on the only remain- is first visiting neighboring in which we’ve seen mass
ing road access to Tigray. Sudan, which borders Ti- atrocities committed,” the
Bridges on other routes were gray and is a potential supply senior official said.
destroyed as Ethiopian forces route, “right now the prin-
retreated from the region in cipal focus is on getting the Ethiopia’s prime minister
June. Ethiopian government to al- earlier this month described
low food convoys through the Tigray forces as “weeds”
“People are starving,” U.N. Ethiopia into Tigray,” the se- and a “cancer,” further alarm-
World Food Program head nior official said. Other ways ing ethnic Tigrayans who
David Beasley said this week, are being explored but would have alleged that thousands
warning that the agency will be “inadequate to meet the of non-combatants have been
run out of food for Tigray scale of need.” detained during the con-
on Friday. The AP has re- flict because of their identity
ported that scores of people The WFP has said 20 con- alone.