Posted on 15 June 2023
Last month, the World Food Programme and USAID announced they would be suspending their food aid deliveries to the Northern Ethiopia region of Tigray. However, due to an ongoing “widespread and coordinated campaign” interrupting food assistance, both organisations have announced they will be pausing food aid across the whole country.
USAID, the World Food Programme and Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have released a joint statement explaining the decision and rejecting the violation and misuse of food aid. They assure that “nutrition assistance to children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, school meals programs, and activities for building the resilience of farmers and pastoralists will continue uninterrupted."
"Food diversion is absolutely unacceptable", says WFP Executive Director Cindy McCainand. "Our teams will work tirelessly with all partners to resume our operations as soon as we can ensure that food reaches the people who need it the most.”