USAID Administrator Samantha Power said that the agency recently discovered that food aid intended for the people of the region, who are suffering under famine-like condition, was being diverted and sold on the local market. She described the suspension by the agency as a ‘difficult decision’.
Power noted that the agency has referred the matter to its Office of the Inspector General, which launched an investigation, and sent leaders from its Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance to Ethiopia before deciding on a temporary pause in food aid.
According to Power, the US government has raised its concerns with officials from the Ethiopian federal government and the Tigray Interim Regional Administration, and that the officials have expressed willingness to work with the US to identify and hold those responsible accountable.
She emphasized that the agency “stands ready” to restart the program once strong oversight measures are in place and it has confidence that assistance will reach the intended vulnerable populations.
It should be recalled that a two-year war broke out in November 2020 between the federal government and forces led by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the party that dominates the region, killed tens of thousands of people, created famine-like conditions for hundreds of thousands, and displaced millions
The government and Tigray forces thereafter agreed to end the hostilities in November, which has allowed additional aid to reach the region and for some services to be restored.
Power said the effects of the pause would be felt by the already suffering civilians and added that the United States’ commitment to the Ethiopian people.
She further explained that while food aid to the Tigray Region is suspended, other vital assistance not implicated in the diversion scheme will continue, including life-saving nutritional supplements, safe drinking water, and support for agricultural activities and development.
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