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A6 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 9 august 2023
The World Food Program slowly resumes food aid to Ethiopia after

months of suspension and criticism

By Cara Anna and works closely with the
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The government of Ethiopia at
United Nations World Food all levels,” the U.N. agency
Program is slowly resuming said.
food aid to Ethiopia nearly The U.S. Agency for Inter-
five months after taking the national Development told
extraordinary measure of the AP in a written response
suspending aid to millions to questions that the re-
of people after the discov- sumption of WFP aid is not
ery of a massive scheme to funded by the U.S., which
steal donated grain. WFP continues its suspension. It
said it's testing small-scale noted the WFP program is
distribution in some areas funded by the World Bank.
but acknowledges that the “We are committed to re-
government still plays a role suming food assistance as
in the process. quickly as possible once
Critics of the aid suspension, we can be confident our
including aid groups and assistance is reaching the
health workers, have called most vulnerable that it is
it immoral and alleged that intended for,” USAID said,
hundreds of people have adding that Secretary of
died of hunger. The United State Antony Blinken has
States, however, says its An Ethiopian woman scoops up portions of wheat to be allocated to each waiting family after it spoken with Prime Minister
own suspension of food aid was distributed by the Relief Society of Tigray in the town of Agula, in the Tigray region of northern Abiy Ahmed to “drive prog-
Ethiopia on May 8, 2021.
to the East African country (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File) ress on these issues."
will continue while it nego- Some humanitarian groups
tiates with Ethiopia’s gov- measures for delivering ensure food reaches the U.S. officials have said they and Ethiopian religious
ernment for reforms of a food assistance.” Tigray is people who need it most. believe the theft could be leaders have joined the
system long controlled by recovering from a two-year The WFP first halted food the largest-ever diversion of calls to resume food aid
local authorities. conflict with Ethiopian forc- deliveries to Tigray in March donated food. Aid workers distribution as soon as pos-
The pause has affected es that ended in Novem- after discovering the theft have told the AP that Ethio- sible. “People are starving
20 million Ethiopians — 1/6 ber. of grain. In a single Tigray pian officials were deeply to death. In recent weeks,
of the population — plus The WFP’s new measures town, enough stolen food involved. Ethiopia’s govern- hunger has killed hundreds
800,000 refugees. include digitally registering aid to feed 134,000 people ment dismissed as harmful of people in Ethiopia’s
In a written response Mon- beneficiaries, adding mark- for a month was found in- propaganda the sugges- northern Tigray region as
day evening to questions, ings to grain sacks, feed- stead for sale in markets, tion that it bears primary re- result of food shortage. This
the WFP told The Associ- back hotlines and more still marked with the U.S. sponsibility and agreed to is neither humane nor mor-
ated Press that the agen- training for aid partners. The flag. a joint investigation. al,” Caritas Internationalis
cy has started distributing agency hopes to roll out its The suspension was extend- Donors have recommend- Secretary General Alistair
wheat to around 100,000 new distribution system to ed to all of Ethiopia in June. ed completely removing Dutton said in a statement
people in four districts of other parts of Ethiopia as The U.S., the largest human- Ethiopia’s government from in July.
Ethiopia’s northern Tigray soon as possible, WFP said, itarian donor to both Ethio- the aid system. But “WFP The U.S. has told the AP it
region on July 31 as it tests adding that it's confident pia and WFP, also paused works in Ethiopia at the re- was horrified by reports of
“enhanced controls and the measures will help to food aid. quest of the government hunger.q

The monthslong conflict in Sudan has displaced over 4 million

people, a UN official says

over 884,000 who have fled tary force intensify in the Organization, have sig-
to neighboring countries, a eastern part of the capital, nificantly compromised
U.N. official said Tuesday. Khartoum, and the nearby the quality of health care
The fighting has also trig- city of Omdurman. across the country,” Spin-
gered outbreaks of disease Sudan was plunged into dler said.
and an increase in malnu- chaos in April when sim- On Tuesday, Nabil Abdal-
trition, according to William mering tensions between lah, the military’s main
Spindler, a spokesperson for the military, led by Abdel spokesman, said army
the U.N. refugee agency. Fattah Burhan, and the forces killed and injured
From mid-May to mid-July, paramilitary Rapid Support hundreds of RSF fighters in
the UNHCR recorded over Forces, commanded by ongoing operations in Om-
300 deaths from measles Mohammed Hamdan Da- durman. The RSF did not
Smoke rises over Khartoum, Sudan, on June 8, 2023, as fighting and malnutrition, mainly galo, exploded into open acknowledge those casu-
between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support among children under 5, fighting in Khartoum and alties and instead said its
Forces continues. Spindler said, speaking to elsewhere. fighters had killed scores of
(AP Photo, File) reporters in Geneva. “Chronic shortages in army soldiers in street bat-
By Jack Jeffery calating conflict has driven His remarks came as clash- health staff, as well as at- tles there. The Associated
Associated Press more than 4 million people es between the Sudanese tacks on personnel as re- Press could not verify either
CAIRO (AP) — Sudan’s es- from their homes, including army and its rival paramili- ported by the World Health claim. q