The United States is reinstating food aid to refugees in Ethiopia, following a temporary suspension earlier this year due to concerns of diversion of donations, as confirmed by a high-ranking official from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Ethiopia’s food crisis has exacerbated in recent times due to the conflict in the Tigray region and the most severe drought experienced in the Horn of Africa in decades.
“The resumption of food assistance to refugees will save lives and alleviate suffering for some of the most vulnerable,” the official said.
The choice to restart aid was made following the implementation of enhanced reforms in the refugee food assistance system, led by the Ethiopian government and its partners.
These reforms encompass improved program monitoring, fortified commodity tracking, and enhanced registration processes, according to the official.
The decision will have an impact on numerous refugee sites across Ethiopia, as stated by the official. It’s worth noting that none of these sites are located in Tigray, where a two-year conflict between the federal government and forces associated with the region’s predominant political party concluded in a ceasefire in November of the previous year.
The conflict resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands and led to famine-like conditions for hundreds of thousands of people.
According to another USAID official, the decision will impact approximately 1 million refugees in Ethiopia, including individuals from Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, and various other regions.
Aid for other individuals facing food insecurity in Ethiopia will remain suspended until Washington receives assurances that it will effectively reach the intended recipients, as stated by the senior official. Furthermore, they mentioned ongoing collaboration with the Ethiopian government to implement additional reforms.
In June, USAID announced the suspension of food aid to Ethiopia due to concerns that the donated food was being misappropriated.
At that time, a spokesperson stated that USAID, in collaboration with the Ethiopian government, had concluded that there was a “broad and coordinated effort diverting food aid away from the people of Ethiopia.”
In the 2022 fiscal year, USAID distributed close to $1.5 billion in humanitarian aid to Ethiopia, with the majority of it allocated to food assistance.
In August, the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) announced the resumption of food aid distribution in certain areas of the Tigray region following a three-month hiatus.
The WFP suspended food aid to the northern region in May due to reports of widespread theft of donations, and subsequently, it halted aid to the entire country of Ethiopia in June.