Aid organizations providing U.S. food assistance in Ethiopia’s conflict-affected Tigray region report that they have been forced to halt support for millions due to restrictions imposed by the Trump administration on foreign aid.
They indicate that a lack of funds for fuel, transportation, and drivers has hindered their ability to distribute existing supplies, as the USAID payment system is currently nonfunctional amid the agency’s restructuring.
Gebrehiwot Gebrezgiabher, the Commissioner for Tigray Disaster Risk Management, warned that this funding cut could jeopardize the well-being of between 1.2 and 1.4 million people.
Haile Tsege, a 76-year-old displaced resident of Tigray, is all too familiar with hunger. “We will just die in silence,” he lamented, representing one of the 2.4 million individuals in Tigray reliant on humanitarian grain, predominantly supplied by the U.S.
“Going without food for even a single day is challenging, let alone for 90 days,” he shared with The Associated Press. “As a result, we fear we are facing death.”
Ethiopia, home to over 125 million people, has historically been the largest recipient of U.S. aid in sub-Saharan Africa, receiving $1.8 billion in the 2023 fiscal year.
These funds have not only provided essential food but also supported HIV treatments, vaccinations, literacy initiatives, job creation, and services for 1 million refugees residing in Ethiopia.
However, most of these programs have been suspended. USAID personnel responsible for these initiatives have been placed on administrative leave and instructed not to perform their duties, facing potential termination. The U.S. Embassy has not responded to inquiries regarding the situation.
Tigray has been heavily dependent on U.S. funding. More than two years after the war resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands, comprehensive recovery efforts have yet to commence. The region’s healthcare system is devastated, and numerous schools remain closed.
