Ethiopia accuses WHO chief Tedros of misconduct after criticism

[ad_1]

The Ethiopian government sent a letter to the World Health Organization, accusing its Ethiopian director general of misconduct after its strong criticism of the war and the humanitarian crisis in the country.

Ethiopia appointed Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as the head of the United Nations health agency four years ago, but says he has failed to live up to the integrity and professional expectations required of his office, accusing him of interfering in Ethiopia’s internal affairs, according to a press release released Thursday evening.

By his actions, (Tedros) has spread harmful disinformation and undermined the reputation, independence and credibility of the WHO, Ethiopia’s foreign ministry said.

WHO did not have an immediate response to the complaints.

Tedros, a Tigrayan, has repeatedly lamented the situation in his home country and called for humanitarian access to the conflict-ridden region of Ethiopia.

Nowhere in the world are we seeing a hell like Tigray, Tedros said at a press conference on Wednesday.

He cited a missive the WHO had recently received from a doctor in the region, which said health officials were running out of basic medicines for diseases like diabetes in June and were now using expired stocks and medicines. intravenous fluids.

Tedros condemned Ethiopia’s blockade of international access to Tigray, saying the WHO had not been allowed to send supplies to the region since July, noting that the UN agency had access to Syria and the United Nations. Yemen even during their worst conflicts.

He said there should be unhindered humanitarian access to Tigray and said that simple respect for constitutional order would resolve this issue peacefully. “

He continued: Of course I am from this region and northern Ethiopia. But I say this without any bias.

The Ethiopian government said Tedros was using his office to promote his political interests at Ethiopia’s expense and said he continued to be an active member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Tigray; Tedros was Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Health when the TPLF dominated the country’s ruling coalition.

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Tigray, the political party that rules the Tigray region, has clashed with the Ethiopian federal forces since the country’s prime minister, Nobel Peace Prize winner, accused the heavily armed regional government of attacking a military base.

Each government views the other as illegitimate after months of falling out amid political reforms.

In September, France, Germany and other European countries appointed Tedros for a second term as WHO Director-General, the first time a candidate had not been backed by his home country .

Tedros is expected to be confirmed for another five-year term in May, as he runs unopposed.

Under Tedros, the WHO has come under fierce criticism from the US Trump administration for allegations of serious missteps in the response to COVID-19 and for its alleged collusion with China in the early stages of the process. the epidemic.

Tedros has been a leading voice urging rich countries and vaccine makers to do more to improve access to COVID vaccines in the developing world, a call that has largely gone unheeded.

Last year, the WHO faced mounting pressure following revelations from a PA investigation and an independent panel that found senior management had been made aware of allegations of sexual abuse during the the agency’s response to an Ebola outbreak in Congo.

(Only the title and image of this report may have been reworked by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)

Dear reader,

Business Standard has always strived to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that matter to you and have broader political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering has only strengthened our resolve and commitment to these ideals. Even in these difficult times resulting from Covid-19, we remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and cutting-edge commentary on relevant current issues. However, we have a demand.

As we fight the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more so that we can continue to provide you with more quality content. Our subscription model has received an encouraging response from many of you who have subscribed to our online content. More subscriptions to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of providing you with even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practice the journalism to which we are committed.

Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.

Digital editor

[ad_2]