The Ethiopian government refused to allow the president of Médecins Sans Frontières Spain, Paula Gil, into its war-torn Tigray region last week.
Her trip to Ethiopia came over one year after three MSF employees were murdered in Tigray while providing health services to conflict-affected communities. They were found dead on the side of the road. Interviews conducted by The New York Times linked the killings to government troops on orders of a commander.
No accountability: Gil was unable to meet any representatives from the federal government to gain insight into their investigations into the killings, even though requests were sent to multiple ministries. Denial of entry into Tigray meant she also could not meet with the family members of the murdered staffers.
“We are distraught that, after more than one year of engagement with the Ethiopian authorities, we still do not have any credible answers on what happened to our colleagues that day,” Gil wrote in a statement published on Tuesday. She said her visit was intended as a “decisive step” in the organization’s engagements with the government to hold accountable those responsible for the attacks.
Suspended operations: The organization has navigated an incredibly difficult operating environment since the conflict began in late 2020. Shortly after the killings last year, the government suspended MSF’s work for three months. MSF had been vocal about the health system destruction during the conflict. The government accused MSF of disseminating misinformation, employing foreign nationals without appropriate work permits, and illegally importing and using satellite radio equipment that wasn’t properly authorized. This suspension was lifted in November.
High levels of food insecurity and malnutrition persist in the region, despite a humanitarian truce declared in March. Health staffers have not been paid, there aren’t regular shipments of medicine, health facilities need rehabilitation, and a lack of fuel and cash are all affecting delivery of health services.