The aid organizations transport more fuel than is allowed and bring with them equipment that “can be used by the terrorist group to achieve its goals”, says Ethiopia’s Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonen.
The UN Coordinating Body for Emergency Aid, OCHA, has previously stated that the amount of fuel allowed is insufficient.
The Ethiopian government has been accused by the UN of maintaining a blockade against Tigray. In April, after a three-month hiatus, the government again began sending international aid shipments into the region.
The conflict in Ethiopia has been going on since 2020, when the Tplray ruling TPLF announced that it no longer recognized the legitimacy of the Ethiopian central government – after which government forces occupied the region.