"Rising hostilities in the Tigray region threaten the immediate safety of hundreds of thousands of people. Any increase in violence would foreshadow further regional destabilisation and humanitarian disaster. We call upon all parties to resolve tensions through dialogue and to take all appropriate measures to end military action.
"There are currently 1.82 million people internally displaced across Ethiopia, and a further 790,000 refugees seeking protection from other conflicts in the East Africa region. Humanitarian needs are high and resources to meet them scarce, especially during the pandemic. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, must manage this crisis carefully and be steadfast in preventing the humanitarian situation from deteriorating further. While the world focuses on the U.S. elections, regional leaders and the broader international community must remain alert and work actively to prevent Ethiopia from sliding further into conflict."
