The leaders of the G7 countries are preparing to coordinate their position on the humanitarian situation in Ethiopia, coinciding with the preparation of the United Nations an internal report estimating that about 350,000 people in the Tigray region are living in a state of famine.

Charles Michel, President of the European Council, expressed his concern about the humanitarian situation in Ethiopia, calling for an international investigation into human rights violations that occurred in the Tigray region. Michel also called on the Eritrean forces to withdraw from Ethiopia.

During a joint press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen ahead of the G7 summit, Michel said that the leaders of the G7 countries will discuss taking coordinated positions on the situation in Ethiopia and human rights violations there.

Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen at a joint press conference (Anatolia)

Famine in Tigray

On the other hand, Reuters reported that it had seen an unpublished internal document prepared by United Nations agencies and relief groups, last Monday, and stated, “Regarding the threat of famine, it was noted that the Ethiopian government is skeptical about the figures contained in the unpublished analysis of the Integrated Phase Classification of Food Security, especially An estimated 350,000 people across Tigray are believed to be in Famine Stage 5, according to the classification.

The document added that the analysis, which diplomats said could be published on Thursday at the earliest, concluded that millions in Tigray need "urgent food, agricultural and livelihood support to prevent a further slide into famine".

The head of Ethiopia's National Disaster Mitigation Authority, Mitoko Kasa, said in a press conference today that declaring famine would be a mistake. "We have no food shortage," he said, accusing the Tigray People's Liberation Front of attacking relief convoys.

A senior Ethiopian diplomat in New York - on condition of anonymity - confirmed that the government is skeptical of the analysis prepared by UN experts, and accuses the classification of lack of transparency and lack of adequate consultations with the relevant authorities.

In November fighting broke out in Tigray between government forces and the Tigray People's Liberation Front, which was the ruling party in the area, and forces from neighboring Eritrea intervened in the conflict in support of the Ethiopian government, killing thousands and displacing more than two million people.

Yesterday, Wednesday, the United Nations stated that there were reports of incidents that included the refusal to move aid, the subjection of aid workers to investigation, attack and detention at military checkpoints, as well as the looting and confiscation of assets and relief supplies by parties to the conflict.