Ethiopian crisis: Senior USAID official accuses Tigray forces of looting warehouses
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has accused forces of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) of looting its warehouses.
The state-owned Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) on Tuesday quoted USAID's Ethiopia Mission Director Sean Jones as telling state TV that they were certain TPLF fighters looted their warehouses.
"We feel that the group is forcibly snatching aid from the victims. What we can say with certainty is that members of the group looted our aid warehouses in areas they infiltrated. This is the fact we know," he said.
Jones said TPLF soldiers "looted warehouses in all areas of the Amhara region they entered, stole vehicles and caused lots of damage on the villages. This is a matter of great concern to the victims and to us".
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on 4 November 2020 ordered a military offensive after forces of the regional party, TPLF, attacked a federal army base.
Fighting has sparked massive displacement, widespread destruction of livelihoods and infrastructure, loss of employment and a huge humanitarian crisis.
The Ethiopian government has declared a unilateral humanitarian ceasefire but the TPLF has brushed this aside and its forces have been battling their way into neighbouring Amhara and Afar regions.
-0- PANA MA 1Sept2021
