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Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, said on Wednesday that in his native Tigray region of northern Ethiopia, “the window to prevent genocide is now very narrow.”
Tedros, a former Ethiopian health and foreign minister, has been critical of Ethiopian authorities during the two-year war.
The government, in turn, accused him of trying to procure arms and diplomatic support for the rebels — charges he denies.
In his sharpest comments on the war, Tedros told reporters in Geneva that food and health care were used as weapons of war in Tigray, which was largely cut off from the outside world.
“Globally, 6 million people have been under siege for almost two years, nothing else,” Tedros said. “The window to prevent genocide is very narrow right now.”
Ethiopian government spokesman Legesse Tulu, Prime Minister National Security Adviser Redwan Hussein and Prime Minister Spokesperson Billene Seyoum did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Ethiopian government has repeatedly denied blocking humanitarian supplies to Tigray or targeting civilians. The conflict has killed thousands, displaced millions and left hundreds of thousands on the brink of famine.
Ethiopian troops and their allies seized several towns in Tigray this week, raising fears that advancing soldiers will abuse civilians.
A joint investigation by the United Nations and Ethiopia’s state-appointed human rights commission last year found that all parties fighting in the Tigray war had committed violations that could amount to war crimes.
The Ethiopian government said this week that its forces respect human rights.
The Tigray conflict has its roots in a long-standing rivalry between regional power blocs for overall control of Ethiopia and deep disagreements over how power is balanced between federal and regional authorities.
Ethiopian authorities have previously accused Tedros of supporting Tigray’s forces, but have provided no evidence.
“Yes, I’m from Tigray, yes, it affects me personally. I’m not going to pretend not,” Tedros said on Wednesday.
“I have a lot of relatives in some of the most affected areas. But my job is to bring the world’s attention to a crisis that threatens people’s health, no matter where they are.”
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