World Awaits Clarity on Tigray Cease-fire

A day after the Ethiopian federal government abruptly suspended nearly eight months of military operations against rebels in its Tigray region, communications with the country's northern region remained sketchy at best, and humanitarians were hopeful the truce would hold so aid could reach the hundreds of thousands of people struggling in famine-like conditions. 

"The consequences and impact of the immediate cease-fire remain unclear," U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters Tuesday.  He said the organization's aid operations have been constrained in recent days because of the fighting but would resume pending a security and access assessment.  "We are looking at supply routes into Tigray in consultation with our security colleagues and logistic experts," Dujarric said, adding that land routes and the airport in Tigray's capital, Mekelle, are closed.