30 September 2021: Two days after the UN’s aid chief warned that northern Ethiopia is sliding into famine resulting from the Ethiopian Government blocking aid deliveries, the Foreign Ministry ordered the expulsion within 72 hours of seven senior UN officials — namely five members of OCHA, a representative of UNICEF and a team leader from OHCHR — tasked with coordinating aid activities and reporting on the humanitarian crisis in Tigray, accusing them of meddling in internal affairs, and declaring them persona non grata. This decision could affect aid distribution in the region, where displacement and humanitarian needs continue to rise. Sources: Reuters, The New Arab, The New York Times, UN Secretary-General, UN News I and UN News II

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