Northern Ethiopia has been beset with acute food shortages since the onset of the Tigray War in November 2020. In addition to the conflict — in which around 600,000 people died — locust infestations and an ongoing drought in the Horn of Africa have exacerbated the crisis. For much of the war, the region was under a blockade, which effectively halted humanitarian aid and created famine-like conditions. The famine is now widespread across at least 12 districts in Tigray. In many parts of the Atsbi Wenberta district, rivers and other water bodies have dried up, alongside food sources. According to the district’s administration, 111 people have died from starvation alone in the last three months. In another nearby district called Abergele, local officials say 76 have died. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is due to restart food aid deliveries across Ethiopia this month after halting the program five months ago over a corruption scheme run by local officials. The Ethiopian government has since agreed to “operational changes” in the distribution of the supplies.
SOURCE: DW