New push for Tigray access as UN, US aid officials visit Ethiopia

Hundreds of thousands of people in war-battered region face the world’s worst famine crisis in 10 years.

The United Nations humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths and US aid head Samantha Power will hold talks in Ethiopia this week to push for urgent access into the conflict-hit Tigray region, where hundreds of thousands of people there face the world’s worst famine crisis in 10 years. Griffiths arrived in Ethiopia on Thursday on his first trip since since becoming new UN undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs. Over six days, he will meet Ethiopian officials and travel to Tigray and the neighbouring region of Amhara, whose fighters control parts of Tigray. “He looks forward to constructive discussions on scaling up the humanitarian response across the country,” UN spokeswoman Eri Kaneko told reporters. Griffiths will speak with civilians and also “witness firsthand the challenges that aid workers face”, she said.