The United States has announced the resumption of food aid delivery for refugees in Ethiopia after a five-month suspension.
This decision follows the agreement of Ethiopian authorities in Addis Ababa to cease their distribution of the supplies.
The suspension of aid by Washington in May, along with a similar move by the UN, was prompted by the discovery of “widespread and coordinated” theft of food aid.
To allow the resumption of aid, the Ethiopian government has implemented reforms, including strengthening monitoring and oversight and enhancing commodity tracking.
Furthermore, Ethiopia has delegated the responsibility for dispatching and warehousing food aid.
The resumption of aid will benefit hundreds of thousands of refugees currently residing in Ethiopia, primarily from neighboring countries like Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, and Eritrea.
However, the pause on food aid for approximately 20 million Ethiopians who are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance remains in effect.
Reports from the war-affected Tigray region indicate that at least 1,400 people have died of starvation since the suspension of aid, and neighboring Amhara, dealing with recent conflicts compounded by drought, has also seen scores of deaths due to the lack of food aid.
Source-BBC
