The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) suggests that the world pays unequal attention to black and white people’s crises.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that only a fraction of the assistance provided to Ukraine went to other humanitarian catastrophes.
“Assisting Ukraine is critical because it has an impact on the entire world,” he added.
But areas like Tigray, Yemen, Afghanistan or Syria are not receiving the same focus, according to him.
“I don’t know if the entire world pays attention to black and white lives in the same way,” Dr Tedros stated during a press conference.
“I need to be straightforward and honest that the world does not treat people equally. Some are more equal than others, and I find this to be distressing. Because it’s true,” he continued.
Tedros, a native of Tigray Province, noted that the United Nations stated that 100 trucks per day of life-saving humanitarian aid were required for Ethiopia.
Following months of simmering tension, war broke out in Tigray between the TPLF, a political organization that had dominated Ethiopian politics for almost three decades, and the authorities in November 2020.
The war has resulted in the deaths of thousands of people, including numerous noncombatants – while millions are still in need of assistance, with the federal government charged with impeding aid deliveries.
Extrajudicial killings and sexual violence have been used by both sides in the conflict. The UN has designated Yemen as the world’s worst humanitarian disaster.
In Afghanistan, the United Nations claims that 24 million individuals require humanitarian aid to keep living.
For the past 11 years, Syria has been in a state of civil war. In excess of 500,000 individuals have perished and millions have been uprooted as a result of the fighting.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began 50 days ago. Since then, there is continuous killings and destruction going on in the country.
The site of the civilian deaths in Bucha, which has been dubbed a crime scene by war crimes prosecutors, has also been labeled as such by US President Joe Biden, who accused Russian forces of committing acts of genocide in Ukraine.