UN staffers who had been expelled have left Ethiopia.
Ethiopia's UN ambassador demanded that the ousted diplomats be replaced;
According to UN spokesperson Farhan Haq, seven UN officials who had till Sunday to leave Ethiopia had done so “for their own safety.”
The authorities were accused of interfering in the internal affairs of the country, particularly in reference to the Tigray conflict. The United Nations expressed surprise at the decision.
“I would urge all parties involved to take a step back, ensure that the humanitarian crisis does not worsen, and work together to settle the situation,” UN General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid told BBC reporter Pierre-Antoine Denis.
The United States slammed the deportation, saying it will “not hesitate” to impose sanctions on “those who hinder humanitarian assistance.”
Ethiopia’s UN ambassador demanded that the ousted diplomats be replaced;
Only 38 of the 466 relief lorries that entered Tigray between mid-July and mid-September returned, according to the United Nations.
This has been blamed on both the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which governs the northern region.
According to the TPLF, lorry drivers are given only enough fuel for a one-way trip into Tigray and are subjected to assault and intimidation at Ethiopian federal forces checkpoints.
The Ethiopian government has dismissed claims that a fuel shortage is preventing lorry travel. It has also accused assistance agencies of helping the TPLF, which it has labeled a “terrorist” organization.
