People turn to desperate measures after authorities stop 6 million people accessing their own money
“Now I am hungry. My parents and siblings are hungry. For months, we waited in vain to receive aid,” said Hewan.
Zufan* has a master’s degree in project management and before the war the 27-year-old had a well-established career with a good salary and a plan to pursue a PhD. These days she is selling her body to survive the hunger which claimed the life of her parent. Last month, the news about a civil servant who killed himself in Mekelle after finding it unbearable to watch his three children starve and his wife beg for food, was widely circulating in the city.
“Trying to get money into Tigray is a frustrating and risky work in the first place. It is not allowed by the federal government. Transportation is blocked into the region. We do it through connections and by bribing officers. That’s why we take up to 50% of the remittance. Otherwise, it is impossible.
“There was 73,000 birr I tried to deliver. The money was sent to family members in a terrible condition with nothing to eat. Tigray authorities took the money. I was not given any valid reason by their officers. Of course, publicly they give many excuses. But the reality is they set up the posts to grab money at the expense of dying family members. I stopped the work after that incident. There was no guarantee to continue,” said Berket*, another former smuggler.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
People who want an EV ‘can’t get their hands on one’Smart Energy Council Chief Executive John Grimes says the problem is those who want an electric vehicle can’t get their hands on one. “Affordability is being solved, so by about 2023, we see the crossover point,” Mr Grimes told Sky News Australia. “The problem is they can’t get their hands on one. “There are companies that have waiting lists up to a year and a half from the point that you put your name down on the piece of paper.”
Read more »
Trevor Noah on Europe’s drought: ‘It puts people like Moses out of a job’The late-night host discussed droughts in Europe, rivers running dry and the alarming discovery of ‘hunger stones’
Read more »
At least 38 people killed as ‘tornado of fire’ rages in northern AlgeriaHundreds forced to flee homes and at least 200 injured as firefighters battle string of blazes in El Tarf province
Read more »
Nurses urges people not to ignore symptoms after bowel cancer diagnosisMiriam Van Zanten thought she had a bowel obstruction. The reality was far more life threatening.
Read more »
'We exist in every town': Regional queer people are struggling to access much-needed careSmall populations and strong conservative values often mean queer people in small towns face more scrutiny than their metropolitan counterparts. Advocates like Tiger Bird want services tailored towards the LGBTQIA+ community.
Read more »
Bali bombmaker Umar Patek ‘demolished so many people’s lives forever’Survivor Jan Laczynski says his reaction is one of 'absolute shock' to the news Umar Patek – one of the men responsible for the 2002 Bali bombings – is due to walk free from prison within days after serving just half of his 20-year sentence. Umar Patek, whose real name is Hisyam bin Ali Zein, was arrested in 2012 and has only served 10 years of his 20-year sentence for his role in the attacks. Patek, who was dubbed “Demolition Man” because of his expertise with explosives, is now due to walk free from Porong prison days after being granted a remission on his sentence as part of Indonesia’s 77th Independence Day. Melbourne man Jan Laczynski who was at the Sari Club where the attack occurred before the explosion and who lost five friends, said Patek 'certainly demolished so many people's lives forever'. 'He should not be allowed walking out – certainly unsupervised, or if at all,' Mr Laczynski told Sky News Australia. 'The pain doesn't go away'.
Read more »