NEW YORK, 16 DECEMBER 2020, (TON): UNICEF on Tuesday warned that millions of children are out of reach to humanitarian access despite an access agreement reached to the Tigray region earlier.

“Some 2.3 million children in Tigray, Ethiopia, remain cut off from humanitarian assistance amid continuing violence since the beginning of November,’’ UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said.

“We are extremely concerned that the longer access to them is delayed, the worse their situation will become as supplies of food, including ready-to-use therapeutic food for the treatment of child malnutrition, medicines, water, fuel and other essentials run low,’’ she said.

“Protecting these children, many of whom are refugees and internally displaced, and providing them with humanitarian aid must be a priority,’’ Fore said.

“We call for urgent, sustained, unconditional and impartial humanitarian access to all families in need wherever they are.

“We also urge authorities to allow the free movement of civilians wishing to seek safety elsewhere. This includes those requesting to cross the border to seek international protection.

“Meeting the critical needs of children and women must not be delayed any longer,” UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore further said.

The access deal was presumed to allow the first aid to the region of six million people cut off due to the ongoing fighting between the federal and Tigray regional governments, each regarding the other as illegal.