Speaking this evening in response to the killing of three members of Medecins Sans Frontieres, Minister of State for Overseas Development and Diaspora, Colm Brophy, TD, said:
“I was deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the deaths of three members of Medecins Sans Frontieres in Tigray, Ethiopia today. These humanitarian workers – one from Spain and two from Ethiopia – were working in very difficult conditions to assist some of the world’s most vulnerable people. That they may have been deliberately targeted is beyond comprehension. The sympathies and condolences of the Irish Government and people are with the families of the victims.”
Note for editors
The conflict in Tigray, Ethiopia has been underway since November 2020. The UN has indicated that 350,000 people there are in imminent danger of famine. Ireland has worked at the UN Security Council for unhindered humanitarian access, a ceasefire, accountability for breaches of international humanitarian law, and a peaceful resolution of the crisis.
