In Ethiopia, food distributions suspended after looting attributed to rebels

Published on : 12/09/2021 – 4:40 PM

The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has suspended its food distributions in the town of Kombolcha, in northern Ethiopia, due to “massive looting” attributed to Tigrayan rebels, the spokesperson said on Wednesday (December 8th). word of the UN.

“Massive looting of warehouses in Kombolcha in recent days, apparently by elements of the Tigrayan rebels and members of the local population” were deplored in Kombolcha, a town in Amhara province, Stéphane Dujarric reported during his interview. daily press briefing.

“Large quantities of food, including nutritional products for malnourished children, have been stolen and looted,” he said, stressing that the thefts risked increasing food insecurity in northern Ethiopia. , although the volume of what was stolen was yet to be determined.

These attacks led to the suspension of food distribution in the towns of Dessie and Kombolcha, added Stéphane Dujarric.

In the provinces of Tigray, Amhara and Afar, a total of “9.4 million people are now in a critical situation of food assistance”, he added, noting the substantial increase. of this new estimate.

UN workers threatened

The UN estimates the number of people in need of emergency food assistance at 5.2 million in Tigray, 534,000 in Afar province and 3.7 million in Amhara province, he said.

“WFP teams on the ground were unable to prevent the looting as they faced strong intimidation and were under threat of weapons,” said the spokesperson, denouncing a “unacceptable” violence against UN employees.

The Ethiopian government recently announced the takeover of Dessie and Kombolcha, strategic crossroads on the road to the capital. The Tigrayan rebels have denied any military advantage, saying the army has only recovered abandoned areas after strategic rebel withdrawals.

The war that has lasted for more than a year in northern Ethiopia erupted in November 2020, after Abiy Ahmed sent the army to the northern region of Tigray to remove local authorities from the region. Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which challenged its authority and accused it of attacking military bases.

With AFP