US condemns Ethiopia’s expulsion of UN officials, warns of sanctions

The United States condemned Ethiopia’s expulsion of seven UN officials, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said, warning that Washington will not hesitate to use sanctions against those who obstruct humanitarian efforts in the country.
“The US government condemns in the strongest possible terms the government of Ethiopia’s unprecedented action to expel the leadership of all of the United Nations organizations involved in ongoing humanitarian operations,” Psaki told reporters at a regular news briefing.
“This is a stain on our collective conscience, and it must stop,” he warned.
“The action follows the release of reports warning that hundreds of thousands of people are starving to death in northern Ethiopia. We’re deeply concerned that this action continues a pattern by the Ethiopian government of obstructing the delivery of food, medicine, and other lifesaving supplies that most — to those most in need,” Psaki said.
“We call on the UN Security Council and members of the international community to take urgent action to make clear to the government of Ethiopia that impeding humanitarian operations and depriving your own citizens of the basic means of survival is unacceptable,” he added.
On September 17, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order allowing for sanctions against the warring parties in northern Ethiopia if they fail to commit to a negotiated settlement






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