US provided food aid (Photo:WFP)Addis Abeba – The committee established by the interim regional administration of Tigray to investigate diversion of humanitarian food in the region has revealed that the Ethiopian federal government entities and Eritrean forces had higher roles in the widescale food aid diversion. He said 186 suspects alleged to have roles in the food aid diversion have been identified, out of whom seven have already been detained. The official didn’t give time frame as to when the aid diversion took place, nor specified the implicated federal and regional gov’ts entities. This comes as the two major food aid donors to Ethiopia, USAID and the WFP have suspended food aid distribution in Ethiopia after revelations were made that the food aid diversion was not only limited to Tigray region, and is country wide. Similarly the army has refuted the allegations that its members have been involved in the aid diversion and called for restraint from media outlets.

Source: Ethiopian News June 15, 2023 13:46 UTC