Ethiopia: theft of one million liters of fuel

The theft of more than half a million tons of fuel from the World Food Program (WFP) in Ethiopia's Tigray region has made it impossible to continue operations that support millions of hungry people, the UN agency said on Thursday.

Armed men entered the WFP compound in the regional capital Mekelle on Wednesday and seized 12 tankers full of fuel that had recently been purchased.

David Beasley, executive director of the World Food Program, said in a statement while condemning the theft, which occurred after clashes broke out between Ethiopian forces and separatists after a five-month humanitarian ceasefire, that if we don't have fuel to deliver food, millions of them will starve. This is cruel and shameful. We now demand the return of this fuel.

It will now be impossible for WFP to distribute food, fertilizer, medicine and other emergency supplies across Tigray, where an estimated 5 million people are facing severe hunger.

"The loss of this fuel will push communities in Tigray, who are already dealing with the effects of the war, to the brink of starvation," Mr. Beasley said.

The World Food Program also reported an inability to power generators and vehicles that are vital to humanitarian workers and organizations.

 

_{Source: UN}