Save a Child, Save a Future: Education for All in Tigray, Ethiopia

I am writing to express my deep concern about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Tigray, Ethiopia. The crisis is causing significant harm to children, particularly in terms of malnutrition & prolonged disruptions to their education. Secretary Blinken has noted that the crisis includes instances of ethnic cleansing in Western Tigray, resulting in over 1.2 million forcibly displaced people & a total of over 2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) occupying schools & preventing them from reopening. It is imperative that these IDPs are able to return home in order for children to resume their education. The lack of clarity surrounding the reopening of schools is exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. As a result, children in Tigray are at risk of entering their fourth consecutive academic year without access to education. Additionally, young children in Tigray are experiencing severe malnutrition, with over a quarter of them suffering from global acute malnutrition, putting them at risk of death & health complications, particularly in remote areas. Immediate action is needed to address the crisis & provide necessary aid & resources to the people of Tigray. A Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) would play a critical role in providing assistance in the form of food aid, healthcare, & education. Furthermore, despite some efforts by organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross to deliver medical aid, the current supply is insufficient to meet the needs of the population. The World Food Program estimates that approximately 11,000 tons of medical supplies are required, yet only 40 tons have been delivered to the capital city of Mekelle. The situation is further compounded by a widespread lack of access to basic services such as electricity & banking, which hinders residents' ability to acquire resources. I respectfully request your attention to address the pressing humanitarian crisis in Tigray, Ethiopia. Additional support is imperative to address the dire circumstances. I urge you to take all necessary measures to ensure that the people of Tigray have access to the healthcare & education they are entitled to. This includes utilizing all available resources & exercising your full authority to implement the following actions: 1. Urge Samantha Power, Head of the USAID, to establish a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to provide necessary assistance in the form of food aid, healthcare, & education to the affected population. 2. Urge the State Department to provide assistance to the African Union team of experts by supplying satellite imagery to verify the withdrawal of foreign & non-Ethiopian National Defense Force troops from Tigray in accordance with the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA). It is imperative that the US administration demonstrate a similar level of dedication to the implementation of the CoHA as it did during the negotiation process.