Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • World
  • Mid-East
  • Europe
  • Americas
  • Asia Pacific
  • Africa
  • Syrian Crisis
  • Islamophobia

UN suspends food aid in Ethiopia’s Kombolcha after mass looting

by French Press Agency - AFP

UNITED NATIONS Dec 09, 2021 - 1:05 pm GMT+3
A World Food Programme's flag flutters on the roof of WFP's headquaters after the organization won the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize, in Rome, Italy, Oct, 9, 2020. (Reuters Photo)
A World Food Programme's flag flutters on the roof of WFP's headquaters after the organization won the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize, in Rome, Italy, Oct, 9, 2020. (Reuters Photo)
by French Press Agency - AFP Dec 09, 2021 1:05 pm

The World Food Programme (WFP) has suspended aid distribution in the northern Ethiopian town of Kombolcha after "mass looting" of its warehouses blamed on Tigrayan forces, a United Nations spokesperson said Wednesday.

Stephane Dujarric told reporters there had been "mass looting of warehouses across Kombolcha in recent days, reportedly by elements of the Tigrayan forces and some members of the local population."

"Large quantities of humanitarian food supplies, including nutritional items for malnourished children, have been stolen and looted," he said, warning that the looting risked increasing food insecurity in northern Ethiopia.

In the provinces of Tigray, Amhara and Afar, an estimated 9.4 million people "are now in critical need of food assistance," Dujarric said, a significant leap on previous estimates.

The U.N. said that 5.2 million of them are in Tigray, 534,000 in Afar province and 3.7 million in Amhara province.

"The World Food Program teams on the ground were not able to prevent the looting in the face of extreme intimidation, including staff being held at gunpoint," he said, stressing that "such harassment of humanitarian staff by armed forces is unacceptable."

That led to the decision to suspend food distribution in Dessie and Kombolcha, two strategic towns on the road to the capital.

The Ethiopian government recently announced it had retaken the two towns, but Tigrayan forces said the army had only recovered abandoned areas after strategic withdrawals by the rebels.

The war erupted in November 2020 when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops into Tigray to topple the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) – a move he said came in response to rebel attacks on army camps.

But the rebels mounted a shock comeback, recapturing most of Tigray by the end of June before expanding into the neighboring regions of Amhara and Afar.

The fighting has killed thousands of people, displaced more than two million and driven hundreds of thousands into famine-like conditions, according to U.N. estimates.

  • shortlink copied
  • RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    ethiopia mass looting world food programme
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    An amateur photographer Vincent Cornelissen captures a bean goose flying upside down. (Photo from Instagram @b0unce1971)

    It is showing off: Photographer captures goose flying upside down

    ANIMALS-ARCHIVES
    A crude oil tanker sails in the Bosporus, on its way to the Mediterranean Sea, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Dec. 11, 2022. (Reuters Photo)

    Türkiye registers better-than-expected current account gap

    current-account-balance

    Accumulated tension of hundreds of years moved Anatolia by 3m

    Harold-Tobin

    Istanbul's consulate chronicles: Sudhi Choudhary, Consul General of India

    SUDHI-CHOUDHARY
    No Image
    DR Congo: Mount Nyiragongo eruption leaves trail of destruction
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021