Sunday, January 26, 2025

UN Agency investigating humanitarian food theft in Ethiopia

The United Nations food relief agency is investigating the theft of food aid from lifesaving humanitarian operations in Ethiopia, according to a letter obtained by The Associated Press. The World Food Program’s Ethiopia director, Claude Jibidar, says in the letter that “WFP is very concerned about the large-scale sale of food in some markets” which “poses not only a reputational risk but also threatens our capacity to mobilize more resources for the needy people.” He adds that it “is therefore imperative that immediate actions be taken to curb … the misappropriation and diversion of humanitarian food” in the country. The letter is dated April 5 and addressed to humanitarian partners of WFP in Ethiopia, where drought and internal conflict have left 20 million of the country’s 120 million people reliant on aid.

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