ADDIS ABABA, May 13 (Xinhua) -- An estimated 5.2 million people in Ethiopia's northern Tigray regional state need food aid, the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) disclosed on Thursday.
"An estimated 5.2 million people in Tigray, more than 87 per cent of the population, need food assistance," the UNOCHA briefing note disclosed.
The figure includes 4.5 million food-insecure people as well as 630,000 displaced people.
The UNOCHA disclosed that despite persistent insecurity in various parts of Ethiopia's conflict-hit Tigray regional state, essential relief supplies including food and non-food items have recently reached various parts of the region.
"Funding, unfettered access, deployment of additional staff, communications equipment, longer visas for Non-Governmental Organization staff, and robust civil-military coordination are required to scale up the humanitarian response in Tigray," the UNOCHA briefing note also disclosed.
In April, UNOCHA revealed 80 percent of the rural parts in Ethiopia's conflict-hit Tigray regional state lack basic services.
The population in Tigray rural areas continue to lack access to basic services such as electricity, health, water and sanitation, and education, the UNOCHA revealed in last month's report. Enditem
