US 'Aid Cuts' Decimate Tigray, But Not Before Its Geopolitical Utility Expired
📰 THE STORY: Al Jazeera highlights the worsening humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia's Tigray region, a year after the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Food Programme (WFP) suspended food aid due to widespread theft. The report details severe hunger, disease, and death, leaving millions with little support in a region devastated by a brutal two-year conflict. 🔍 WHAT
THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: US foreign policy has a documented history of weaponizing aid. In the 1980s, during the Ethiopian famine, US aid was often politicized, with distribution bottlenecks benefiting favored factions or being used as leverage, rather than purely humanitarian concerns. More recently, the US supported the TPLF (Tigray People's Liberation Front) for decades as a
regional proxy, particularly after they came to power in 1991, overlooking widespread human rights abuses documented by organizations like Human Rights Watch. This strategic alignment meant significant investment and aid, which then shifted when the TPLF's influence waned and a new federal government sought to assert greater independence. The sudden aid cut isn't just about 'theft'; it’s about a
recalibration of strategic interests. Double Standard: When governments or rebel groups aligned with US interests are accused of diverting aid, the response is often muted, or aid continues with minor adjustments. For example, during the US-backed 'rebel' interventions in Syria, including groups linked to al-Qaeda, concerns about aid diversion were often downplayed or ignored in the pursuit of