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world news Diaranson 28 Juli 2021

UN says its food aid runs out this week in Ethiopia's Tigray

(AP) — The head of the United Na- on humanitarian grounds, while its forces
tions World Food Program says the retreated from Tigray and Tigray forces
agency will “run out of food” in Ethi- retook the regional capital and many
opia’s conflict-hit Tigray region on other areas. Calling the cease-fire a “sick
Friday, while hundreds of thousands joke,” the Tigray forces vowed to secure
of people there face the world’s worst the region and chase “enemies” over its
famine crisis in a decade. borders if needed.

Some 170 trucks with food and other “Our forces are advancing in every direc-
supplies are “stuck” in the neighbor- tion and no one is going to stop them, not
ing Afar region and “must be allowed even rain,” spokesman Getachew Reda
to move NOW,” David Beasley tweeted with the Tigray forces tweeted on Tues-
on Tuesday, noting that 100 such trucks day.
are needed per day in Tigray. “People are
starving.” Since the cease-fire, Ethiopia’s govern-
ment has prepared for a renewed offen-
International pressure is again rising on sive in Tigray, with public rallies and re-
Ethiopia’s government to allow badly cruiting drives. Some 3,000 youths gath-
needed food and other supplies into Ti- ered on Tuesday in the capital, Addis Aba-
gray, where aid hasn’t reached some com- ba, to enlist in the military and denounce
munities since the war started in No- Tigray’s former ruling party, which once
vember between Ethiopia’s military and dominated Ethiopia’s government but
Tigray forces. The Associated Press has this year was declared a terrorist group.
reported that scores of people have begun
to starve to death. “Our recruits shall bury the enemy and
make sure Ethiopia’s sovereignty is re-
Shortly after the WFP chief’s statement, spected,” Defense Minister Kenea Yadeta
Ethiopia’s government blamed the aid said.
delivery problem on Tigray forces’ “prov-
ocations” in the Afar region, which the Tigray’s civilians are caught in the mid-
U.N. says has the only remaining road dle, largely cut off from the outside world
route into Tigray. But a WFP convoy try- as communications links in the region re-
ing to use that route was attacked on July main down and supplies run low. Thou-
18, and insecurity remains a challenge. sands have been killed in the conflict,
and even outside the region witnesses say
Ethiopia’s government in June declared a thousands have been detained because of
unilateral cease-fire, saying it was in part their ethnicity.

At least 2 killed in German chemical blast; 31 injured

(AP) — An explosion at an industrial park outside Leverkusen to avoid the region. City of-
for chemical companies in Germany killed ficials later also warned people not to let chil-
at least two people on Tuesday, with 31 dren play outside, use outside pools or eat fruit
others injured and several still missing and vegetables from their backyards in the com-
hours later. Fire officials who tested the air ing days. They said experts would only be able
said there did not appear to be a danger to to tell in a few days how toxic the soot from the
nearby residents after authorities initially explosion would be.
urged people to shelter inside.
Currenta said the explosion happened at 9:40
The explosion at the waste management facil- a.m. and then developed into a fire. It said three
ity of the Chempark site in Leverkusen, near big tanks were affected by the explosion, but
Cologne, sent a large black cloud into the air. that it was too early to know the cause.
It took firefighters almost four hours to extin-
guish the fire that took hold after the explosion. “Sirens were operated to warn residents and
Germany’s Federal Office for Civil Protection warning alerts were sent,” Currenta said.
and Disaster Assistance initially classified the in-
cident as “an extreme threat.” Later on Tuesday, Police shut down several nearby major high-
however, the Cologne fire department tweeted ways for several hours.
that pollution measurements “do not show any
kind of abnormality.” They said the smoke had Leverkusen is home to Bayer, one of Germa-
diminished but that they would continue to ny’s biggest chemical companies. It has about
measure the air for toxins. 163,000 residents and borders Cologne, which
is Germany’s fourth biggest city and has around
The city of Leverkusen said the explosion oc- 1 million inhabitants. Many residents work at
curred in storage tanks for solvents. Bayer, which is one of the biggest employers in
the region.
Later Tuesday, Chempark operator Currenta
said that a second fatality had been confirmed. The chemical park is located close to the banks
It put the number of injured at 31 and said five of the Rhine river.
employees were missing.
Currenta has three facilities in the region. More
“Unfortunately hope of finding them alive is than 70 different companies are based at the lo-
fading rapidly,” the head of Chempark, Lars cations in Leverkusen, Dormagen and Krefeld-
Friedrich, said in a statement. Uerdingen.

City officials asked all residents to stay inside The mayor of Leverkusen, Uwe Richrath, called
until the late afternoon and warned people from the blast “a tragic moment for Leverkusen.”