The World Food Program slowly resumes food aid to Ethiopia after months of suspension and criticism
Associated PressNAIROBI, Kenya — The United Nations World Food Program is slowly resuming food aid to Ethiopia nearly five months after taking the extraordinary measure of suspending aid to millions of people after the discovery of a massive scheme to steal donated grain. In a written response Monday evening to questions, the WFP told The Associated Press that the agency has started distributing wheat to around 100,000 people in four districts of Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region on July 31 as it tests “enhanced controls and measures for delivering food assistance.” Tigray is recovering from a two-year conflict with Ethiopian forces that ended in November. “We are committed to resuming food assistance as quickly as possible once we can be confident our assistance is reaching the most vulnerable that it is intended for,” USAID said, adding that Secretary of State Antony Blinken has spoken with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to “drive progress on these issues.” Some humanitarian groups and Ethiopian religious leaders have joined the calls to resume food aid distribution as soon as possible. Addressing criticism, USAID administrator Samantha Power said last month that “suspending food assistance at a time of such vulnerability is an absolutely wrenching thing that none of us would ever wish to be a part of, or had anything to do with.” But she added that “one could have no confidence that the food we’re bringing to Ethiopia, that U.S. taxpayers are paying for, was actually reaching this vulnerable people.” Ethiopian authorities were investigating, she said, and “there’s criminal liability and accountability, you know, for any officials who are involved.” The implications for the U.S. are global.
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