ADDIS ABABA, July 7 (Xinhua) -- The international medical charity, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), on Friday called for immediate resumption of food distributions in Ethiopia.
"As malnutrition rates surge beyond emergency levels in many areas of Ethiopia, MSF calls for the immediate resumption of food distributions, which were suspended across Ethiopia in early June 2023," MSF said in a statement.
Noting that more than 20 million people in Ethiopia rely heavily on food assistance, especially refugees and displaced people, it said those most at risk include pregnant women, new mothers, children under five and people living with HIV.
Cara Brooks, MSF country director for Ethiopia, said even before the suspension came into effect, the medical teams were witnessing alarmingly high rates of global acute malnutrition, which were already well above the World Health Organization's emergency threshold of 15 percent.
"The suspension is an alarming development because it comes after an already extended period of sporadic and irregular food aid distributions, and at a time when the humanitarian situation across the country is already dire," Brooks was quoted by the statement as saying.
"People are grappling with the worst drought in four decades, economic hardship and recurring violence," she added.
The suspension of food distributions comes in the context of investigations into the widespread diversion of food aid. Initially, food distributions were suspended in the conflict-affected Tigray region alone, but were later extended across the East African country.
Last month, the UN World Food Program (WFP) suspended its food aid assistance program in Ethiopia, citing large-scale aid misappropriation.
"Our first concern is the millions of hungry people who depend on our support, and our teams will work tirelessly with all partners to resume our operations as soon as we can ensure that food reaches the people who need it the most," the WFP had said.
The MSF called on all stakeholders to take immediate action and respond to the needs of the most at-risk communities through targeted food distributions.
"It is essential to resume full and regular food distributions as a matter of urgency, while improving communication about where and when distributions will take place," the MSF said.
