Approximately 1,400 individuals have died from starvation in Ethiopia’s northern region of Tigray after food aid was suspended due to rampant theft, an official said.

Around four months ago, the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) and the primary aid agency of the United States discontinued their provision of food assistance to Tigray. 

A subsequent inquiry conducted by Tigrayan authorities revealed the involvement of nearly 500 individuals in the pilferage, as confirmed to the BBC.

According to Gebrehiwet Gebrezgabher, the Tigray interim government’s commissioner for disaster risk management, since the cessation of food aid, 1,411 deaths due to starvation have been recorded in three specific zones: the east, northwest, and southeast. 

Data from the remaining three zones in Tigray were yet to be collated, and it is anticipated that the death toll will rise once this process is complete.

Mr Gebrehiwet disclosed that 492 suspects were under investigation, with 198 being charged thus far for their alleged roles in the fraud. Among the suspects are government officials, personnel from non-governmental organizations, coordinators at conflict-displaced camps, and “partners who are distributors of the food aid.”

He also noted the involvement of business individuals, particularly those who own food stores and mills, revealing that the investigation was nearing its conclusion.

Tigray underwent a severe conflict in 2020, resulting in conditions reminiscent of famine. The conflict concluded in November of the same year, following a peace agreement brokered by the African Union (AU) between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). 

Eritrean troops were involved in the conflict alongside the Ethiopian Army.

Throughout most of the conflict, the region remained under blockade, significantly hampering the delivery of humanitarian aid. 

Olusegun Obasanjo, an AU envoy and former Nigerian president, estimated that approximately 600,000 people died during the two-year conflict. Researchers attributed the substantial civilian death toll to combat, starvation, and inadequate healthcare.

The WFP and USAid initially rallied to aid around six million Tigrayans but suspended food aid in April after discovering the diversion of their contributions to local markets. 

The entities did not identify the parties responsible for the diversion. A spokesperson from the WFP stated, “We simply could not turn a blind eye to the criminal activity and continue to deliver.”

Evidence from the BBC revealed that food items bearing the logos of aid agencies, such as the WFP and USAid, were being sold in markets across Tigray, including the capital, Mekelle. However, it remains unclear whether the food aid was dishonestly “diverted” or if aid recipients had sold it in desperate need of funds.

In June, the WFP and USAid also suspended food aid to other parts of Ethiopia. USAid is the country’s most significant food donor, assisting millions affected by conflict, drought, and high living costs.

A leaked memo from an independent donor group, cited by several media outlets in June, alleged a “coordinated and criminal scheme,” potentially orchestrated by federal and regional government entities, with military units nationwide benefiting.

Although the Ethiopian government claimed to be investigating these allegations, the findings have yet to be disclosed. Ethiopia’s military denied any benefits derived from pilfered food aid.