Terrorist group diverts humanitarian aid to feed combatants: IDPs

Addis Ababa, April 27, 2022 (FBC) – The terrorist TPLF has been diverting the humanitarian aid from the needy people of Tigray to feed its combatants so as to enhance the war efforts, according to IDPs who have escaped from the criminal faction.

Dozens of Tigray people who rejected the rebellious group have been fleeing to Amhara State to get humanitarian support.

Approached by local media, one of the IDPs said: “I have fled to Amhara State to save my life from the chronic starvation caused by the TPLF and the faction has been diverting the aid to its soldiers.”

Applauding the support that the Federal government and Amhara people provided for them, he called on TPLF to end hostility against Ethiopian people especially against the people of Amhara.

The other escapee said on his part that currently the terrorist TPLF has been  intentionally blocking humanitarian aid to enforce the starved ethnic Tigray youths to join its military without their interest. “Tough TPLF has been working to expand hostility between Tigray and Amhara people; the latter welcomed and have been serving us without any discrimination.”

TPLF’s ex- soldier who peacefully surrendered to federal forces also said the TPLF is hijacking the food and non-food supply and is deliberately starving the people of Tigray.

Also, the Tigray youth were forced to join the army because of the blockade of aid by the TPLF. The blockade is aimed at tarnishing the image of the federal government and accusing the latter of deliberately starving the people of Tigray.

As to the ex-soldier, TPLF is working to undermine the Ethiopian government and its number of efforts to reach the needy people by blocking and diverting aid from reaching the people. “The people are forced to share the aid they receive to TPLF soldiers otherwise they will face severe consequences.”

It is to be recalled that federal government has been undertaking a lot of measures to facilitate the state of humanitarian delivery to Tigray state through opening the way for international donors and allowing them to use air transport to speed up the flow of the aid. However, terrorist TPLF has been hijacking the aid trucks and use them as war logistic.

In the past seven months out of the 1,111 trucks that were loaded with humanitarian supplies and entered Tigray only 242 trucks had been returned and the remaining 869 trucks were hijacked, according to EPA.