According to an aid memo seen by The Associated Press, only a small fraction of needy people in Ethiopia's Tigray region are receiving food assistance, more than a month after aid agencies resumed deliveries of grain. The memo, issued by the Tigray Food Cluster, reveals that just 14% of the 3.2 million people targeted for food aid in the region had received it by January 21. This alarming situation has prompted calls for immediate action to avoid severe food insecurity and malnutrition during the upcoming lean season, potentially endangering vulnerable children and women in the region.
The delivery of food aid to Tigray was suspended in March 2021, after it was discovered that a large-scale scheme had diverted humanitarian grain for illicit purposes. The suspension was eventually expanded to the entire country in June. The magnitude of the theft, which U.S. officials believe is one of the biggest ever, prompted accusations against Ethiopian government officials and the military. However, the Ethiopian government has dismissed such allegations as harmful propaganda.
