The government of Ethiopia on Monday rejected allegations that starvation is being used “as a weapon of war” in the country’s Tigray region.
The allegation was made by UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths recently warning ‘dire situation’ will repeat famine of four decades ago unless immediate ceasefire is agreed in the region.
Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed the allegations and characterized it as “unfounded and politically motivated.”
“Food and non-food items for 4.5 million beneficiaries have been delivered in the first round, while in the second and third rounds reached 4.3 million beneficiaries over the last six months” the ministry said.
The ministry said so far, 166,264 metric tons of food worth $131 million have been distributed.
The food distributed to the region in the first and second rounds was covered by the government of Ethiopia (70%) and partners (30%).
In addition to the government, five other operators namely World Food Program (WFP), World Vision, CARE, Relief Society of Tigray (REST), and Food for the Hungry, are currently providing food assistance in the region.
Most parts of the region are now accessible, creating a conducive environment to speed up the delivery of food and non-food supplies.
In the areas where the safe movements of humanitarian cargoes are strained, military escort has been made available as a last resort to get access and reach those in need.
MG/as/APA