Tigray, a region in Ethiopia has been drawn into a civil war with the Federal Government of Ethiopia and the Eritrean Government of Isayas Afewerki for almost a year. More than 6 million people are under siege with a total economic and communications blockade for almost 12 months. The Ethiopian Government is now engaged in aerial bombings targeting civilians, private and public infrastructures including market places, hospitals and farmlands. Driven by ethnic hate & a desire to subjugate the populace of Tigray, these forces are merciless in their actions committing acts of genocide and crimes against humanity.
The Biden Administration in tandem with the Department of State and Congress have condemned these atrocities. The U.S. federal government has repeatedly asked for hostilities to end and aid convoys are permitted to reach the now starving populace. The House of Representatives recently passed H.R. 4350 - National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2022, which included Amendment #555 introduced by Rep. Tom Malinowski (N.J. – 7th District).
Your excellency, I implore you and your congressional allies to quickly co-sponsor and pass House Resolution # 445. Furthermore, the Ethiopian government has impeded humanitarian aid convoys from entering the Tigray region intentionally creating the largest humanitarian famine in the 21st century. I encourage you to consider an alternative route to get desperately needed food and medicine into Tigray. The people of Tigray cannot afford to wait another minute, hour, or day under a punishing state-sponsored genocide and a man-made famine.