World Food Programme (WFP) has rolled out comprehensive, systemic measures to prevent further misuse of life-saving aid in response to discovery of widespread diversion of humanitarian food assistance in Ethiopia last month.
According to the statement released by the Food Agency on Tuesday, while preventing further diversion, the WFP put in place comprehensive plan which will be enacted across all WFP operations in Ethiopia.
Recalled that the WFP paused food distributions in the Tigray region after finding evidence of significant food aid sales in local markets.
The Agency immediately began an investigation and is enhancing safeguards and controls to ensure that necessary assistance reaches the most vulnerable women, men, and children.
The actions includes, Implementing real-time food security and needs assessments to prioritize those most in need; Strengthening targeting and management of beneficiary lists and identity checks.
Reinforcing commodity tracking to follow food movements from warehouses to beneficiaries; and Increasing monitoring, community feedback reporting mechanisms to unearth and quickly escalate issues on misuse, including transparency with all stakeholders.
The Agency futher said it will work closely with Ethiopian regional and national authorities, with partners, to implement needed reforms so that urgent food assistance can resume in Tigray and supports intended beneficiaries nationwide.
Reacting to the food aid diversion, the WFP Executive Director, Cindy McCain said the Agency has zero tolerance for theft or diversion that prevents critical food from reaching the hungry families who need it to survive.
“Those found responsible must be held accountable. We are committed to doing everything it takes to guarantee that food assistance benefits the people who need it most”. Taking food away from the starving is unacceptable, whether in Ethiopia or anywhere else in the world,” said McCain.
“WFP is actively assessing all high-risk country operations to ensure stringent processes are in place so that our assistance makes it to the millions and millions of hungry people who depend on us.”
It was reported that more than 20 million people are in dire need of humanitarian food assistance in Ethiopia in 2023, as communities are reeling from the impact of prolonged conflict and drought.
