Mekelle፡Addis Abab,Telaviv, Nairobi, Pretoria, London, (Tigray Herald).
Scandal Erupts as Aid Meant for Western Tigray IDPs Is Stolen by Coordinators in Mekelle
Three truckloads of grain aid intended for IDPs donated by Ethiopian elders and religious leaders were illicitly diverted and stolen by local coordinators.”
By Staff writer.
A growing humanitarian scandal has erupted in Mekelle after it was revealed that three truckloads of grain aid, delivered by Ethiopian elders and religious leaders to internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Western Tigray, were stolen by local IDPs coordinators entrusted with the distribution.
The aid convoy, consisting of nine trucks, was part of a national solidarity initiative organized by Ethiopian elders and religious figures. The assistance was intended to reach displaced communities suffering from dire food shortages. However, sources confirm that three trucks of grain were diverted by coordinators and sold to merchants in Mekelle.
Due to the persistent outcry and resistance from IDP communities, one of the stolen trucks was later recovered and redistributed to those in need. Two trucks, however, remain in the hands of private merchants.
Community members and eyewitnesses have voiced outrage, accusing the coordinators of betraying the suffering people they were meant to help. “This was not just food it was hope for survival. To steal from the hungry is inhumane,” said an elder involved in the aid delegation.
Moreover, growing evidence suggests the issue is far more systemic. TPLF-affiliated generals and cadres have reportedly been involved in the widespread looting and resale of humanitarian assistance in Tigray. Aid materials provided by USAID and other international donors have allegedly been misappropriated and sold in local markets, with no accountability. Some aid workers have also spoken out, saying that assistance was routinely siphoned off before reaching its intended beneficiaries.
Donor organizations have reportedly expressed strong concern and issued warnings to the Tigray interim government, demanding transparency and corrective action.
Critics accuse TPLF leadership of showing no mercy even towards vulnerable IDPs by stealing the very aid meant to sustain them. “This is not just corruption; it’s cruelty. They are preying on their own people in a time of tragedy,” said one local activist.
So far, there has been no formal response from the Tigray regional authorities or from the TPLF leadership regarding these serious accusations.
Meanwhile, the remaining six trucks of aid delivered by the national delegation are reportedly being distributed in various displacement camps across Tigray.
