Ethiopia Warns Against New Arab Move on GERD

Water flows through Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam as it undergoes construction work on the river Nile (File photo: Reuters)
Water flows through Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam as it undergoes construction work on the river Nile (File photo: Reuters)
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Ethiopia Warns Against New Arab Move on GERD

Water flows through Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam as it undergoes construction work on the river Nile (File photo: Reuters)
Water flows through Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam as it undergoes construction work on the river Nile (File photo: Reuters)

Ethiopia has warned against new Arab move at the UN Security Council to raise the issue of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) again, noting that such an action would undermine efforts to resume negotiations with Egypt and Sudan.

Negotiations between the three countries froze after they failed to reach an agreement over regulating the filling and operation of the dam, which Addis Ababa is building on the main tributary of the Nile.

At the request of Egypt and Sudan, Tunisia, the current Arab member of the Security Council, submitted a draft resolution to the Council last month, calling on Ethiopia to stop any unilateral measures that would harm the downstream countries.

The Council discussed the dispute in an open session, but it did not issue any decision or recommendation so far.

The Ethiopian State Minister Redwan Hussein warned that "Tunisia's ongoing preparation to submit its inappropriate request again to the Security Council would put all riparian countries in a difficult position that necessitates cooperation to reverse it."

The Minister met with and Ambassadors of the Upstream Riparian States of the Nile Basin in Ethiopia to mobilize support.

He reiterated his country's position in rejecting any international intervention in the conflict and limiting the issue to the African Union's sponsorship.

Hussein emphasized that "such an unhelpful move by an African state would only undermine the tripartite negotiation over the GERD, and the upper riparian states should never accept it."

He stressed Ethiopia's consistent position and commitment to fair and equitable utilization of the waters of the Nile through discussions with the riparian countries.

The ambassadors asserted that cooperation was needed to invest in cross-border resources jointly and solve African issues through African initiatives.

An Egyptian official refused to comment to Asharq Al-Awsat on the statement.

In July, Tunisia prepared a draft resolution to the UN Security Council to push for a binding agreement between Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt on the operation of a giant hydro-power dam within six months.

The three countries have been negotiating since 2011, without reaching any agreement.

Ethiopia considers the dam necessary to achieve economic development, while Egypt considers it a serious threat.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stressed his country's solidarity with Sudan amid the floods that hit several Sudanese states during a phone call with his Sudanese counterpart Mariam al-Sadiq al-Mahdi.

Shoukry and Mahdi discussed the developments in Sudan in the wake of the floods that hit the country and touched on several issues of mutual interest, agreeing on enhancing coordination and cooperation to achieve the aspirations of the two countries peoples.



Aid to Gaza 'Facing Total Collapse', Warn 12 NGOs

 A Palestinian boy looks through a hole in the wall into a damaged room after an Israeli strike on a school housing displaced Palestinians in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on April 17, 2025. (AFP)
A Palestinian boy looks through a hole in the wall into a damaged room after an Israeli strike on a school housing displaced Palestinians in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on April 17, 2025. (AFP)
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Aid to Gaza 'Facing Total Collapse', Warn 12 NGOs

 A Palestinian boy looks through a hole in the wall into a damaged room after an Israeli strike on a school housing displaced Palestinians in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on April 17, 2025. (AFP)
A Palestinian boy looks through a hole in the wall into a damaged room after an Israeli strike on a school housing displaced Palestinians in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on April 17, 2025. (AFP)

The humanitarian aid system in Gaza is "facing total collapse" because of Israel's blockade on aid supplies since March 2, the heads of 12 major aid organizations warned Thursday, urging Israel to let them "do our jobs".

Israel has vowed to maintain its blockage on humanitarian aid to the war-ravaged territory, saying it is the only way to force Hamas to release the 58 hostages still held there.

"Every single person in Gaza is relying on humanitarian aid to survive," the chief executives of 12 NGOs, including Oxfam and Save the Children, wrote in a joint statement.

"That lifeline has been completely cut off since a blockade on all aid supplies was imposed by Israeli authorities on March 2," they said, adding that "This is one of the worst humanitarian failures of our generation."

A survey of 43 international and Palestinian aid organizations working in Gaza found that almost all have suspended or drastically cut services since a ceasefire ended on March 18, "with widespread and indiscriminate bombing making it extremely dangerous to move around", the NGOs said.

"Famine is not just a risk, but likely rapidly unfolding in almost all parts of Gaza," they said. "Survival itself is now slipping out of reach and the humanitarian system is at breaking point."

"We call on all parties to guarantee the safety of our staff and to allow the safe, unfettered access of aid into and across Gaza through all entry points, and for world leaders to oppose further restrictions."

Israel's renewed assault has killed at least 1,691 people in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, bringing the overall toll since the war erupted to 51,065, most of them civilians.

Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, also mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.