The US aid agency reported that the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) rebels looted relief warehouses in the Ethiopian Amhara region in recent weeks. That area lies on the border of Tigray, where fighting has been going on for months between government forces and the rebels who control the area.

“We have evidence that many of our warehouses have been completely looted and looted, especially in Amhara,” said Shawn Jones, USAID Mission Director. “Any theft of humanitarian supplies is unacceptable and prevents those in need from receiving necessary aid. Unfortunately, since the beginning of the conflict in northern Ethiopia, we have witnessed looting by all sides.”

At the end of June, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front captured large parts of Tigray, then the rebels invaded the neighboring regions of Afar and Amhara. Hundreds of thousands of people fled.

Relief supplies from the blockade

The conflict in Tigray, this is It has roots in the political turmoil of 2018It killed thousands and caused a humanitarian crisis. There are many reports of gross human rights violations by all parties.

About 900,000 people are starving and more than five million are in need of humanitarian assistance. The US Agency for International Development reported last week that for the first time in nine months of the war, aid workers are facing food shortages for distribution. According to the aid agency, the government is refusing to allow entry to the area. The rebels and the government accused each other several times to stop aid supplies.