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- The International Committee of the Red Cross has delivered the first medical supplies to reach Tigray in months.
- Restoration of telecommunication and banking services are expected in the next few weeks.
- The next round of talks will centre on resolving and addressing political issues.
There was an enormous sigh of relief when medical supplies started trickling into Tigray in northern Ethiopia which was cut from the federal country by a protracted two-year civil war, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said.
On Tuesday, the first consignment reached Tigray since the break of the five-month provisional truce that ended on 24 August with the resumption of fighting.
This time around with a written and signed agreement from the cessation of hostilities talks in Pretoria and Nairobi, it is all systems go.
The ICRC's head of delegation in Ethiopia, Nicolas Von Arx, said two trucks full of vital medical supplies arrived in Mekelle to ease the pressure.
"It is an enormous relief for us to deliver this cargo. The healthcare system in the region is under extreme pressure and these deliveries are a lifeline for people who need medical help."
He added:
The two trucks delivered 40 tons of essential medical items, emergency medicines, and surgical equipment much to the relief of thousands in need of urgent medical attention.
Some health facilities in Tigray have closed, and those that are still open lack basic medicines, equipment, and other necessities.
With the parties' support, the ICRC hopes to continue these deliveries on a regular basis and significantly expand its humanitarian response.
The delivery of aid in Tigray was the third step in the peace initiative. The first was the meeting in Pretoria where the Permanent Cessation of Hostilities Agreement was signed.
It was followed by the Nairobi Agreement where military commanders from both the Ethiopian Defence Forces and the Tigray People's Liberation Front agreed on the disarmament of the latter and the withdrawal of Eritrean forces.
During a teleconference, attended by News24 on Tuesday, a US State Department official, who chose to be anonymous, told journalists additional rounds of talks would be focused on resolving and addressing political issues in Ethiopia.
He said there was a long way to go and "we're under no illusions".
READ | Ethiopia's Abiy vows 'honest' implementation of Tigray truce
Other basic services are yet to be restored and the US is hopeful once the federal government takes charge of public administration in Tigray, telecommunication and banking services will be restored.
"Likewise, there is a commitment to the restoration of services, which has been an issue that has not been addressed.
"That includes not only telecommunications and banking but also electricity. And again, the Nairobi Agreement makes clear that that is going to be happening within the next couple of weeks.
"Some of that needs to occur in conjunction with, as the Tigrayans have accepted, the federal takeover of federal installations. So, we just need to stay very focused on making sure that this is happening," said the US official.
The US is in charge of the Tigryan delegation's itinerary, particularly flying them to talks in military planes.
This was a request from the African Union and the Ethiopian government has no issues with that.
US Africa Command has been providing logistical military support during the talks.
There is also a 10-member team of military generals drawn from Kenya and South Africa who will in the near future be joined by their Nigerian counterparts. Their role is monitoring and verification.The News24 Africa Desk is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation. The stories produced through the Africa Desk and the opinions and statements that may be contained herein do not reflect those of the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
