The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has decided to halt all food aid to Ethiopia due to concerns about illicit diversions. This decision comes a month after aid was suspended in the war-torn Tigray region. USAID cited "a widespread and coordinated campaign" to divert aid from those in need as the primary reason for the suspension. Ethiopia has been grappling with severe hunger caused by civil war and drought.
In a statement released by a spokesperson for the US government's main international aid agency, it was stated that the decision to suspend food assistance was a difficult but necessary one. The agency intends to resume aid once reforms are implemented to ensure the integrity of the delivery systems and the aid reaches its intended recipients.
The statement did not identify the parties responsible for the diversions. However, this move follows the freezing of food aid to the Tigray region by USAID and the World Food Programme. They cited the diversion of aid shipments to local markets as the reason for the suspension. The Humanitarian Resilience Development Donor Group, an organization of donors briefed by USAID, published a report that highlighted a coordinated and criminal scheme orchestrated by Ethiopian government entities. It stated that military units across the country were benefiting from humanitarian assistance, and significant diversions had been documented in seven out of nine regions in Ethiopia.
During a visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Ethiopian Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen. Blinken expressed appreciation for the Ethiopian government's commitment to conducting a thorough investigation into the diversion of US food assistance and holding those responsible accountable.
According to the World Food Programme, more than 20 million people in Ethiopia require food assistance. In the fiscal year 2022, USAID distributed $1.5 billion to the country, the majority of which was allocated for food aid.