Disaster Risk Management Commissioner Exposes “TPLF” Group’s Continued Practice of Using Hunger for Political Gains

Addis Ababa, December 25, 2025 (ENA)—The “Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF)” has continued its long-standing practice of instrumentalizing famine for political gains, Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commissioner Shiferaw Teklemariam revealed today.

In an exclusive interview with the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA), the Commissioner stated that the “TPLF” is spreading false claims that displaced people in Tigray Region have been denied assistance.

This tactic reflects a familiar pattern of the group’s history of politicizing humanitarian crises, he added.

Most notably, Shiferaw provided historical context on how the illegal group, “TPLF” repeatedly invoked famine narratives to advance political objectives.

According to the Commissioner, politicization of hunger in northern Ethiopia has deep historical roots dating back to the 1970s and 1980s when famine was used by “TPLF” not as a humanitarian concern but a political instrument to advance the armed struggle against the Derg.

During that period, humanitarian suffering was deliberately framed to mobilize international sympathy, attract aid, and strengthen insurgent legitimacy, with relief delivery often intertwined with political and military structures.

The recent claims about the "hunger" in Hitsatse temporary shelter in Asgede Woreda follow a familiar pattern, with “TPLF”-aligned outlets, diaspora blogs, and social media portraying abandonment and hunger using emotive images and unverified reports of deaths.

Shiferaw elaborated that assistance has been provided in accordance with universal standards across all Ethiopian communities.

In line with this, each needy citizen receives 15 kilograms of grain, 1.5 kilograms of pulses, and 0.45 kilograms of cooking oil per month —totaling 16.9 kilograms per person, multiplied by the number of family members.

Accordingly, a total of 2 million quintals of humanitarian aid valued at 32 billion Birr was distributed in Tigray region from January to December 2025.

Citing these, the Commissioner rebuked the Regional Interim Administration and the “TPLF” for their shameful acts that betray the people and shift the blame.

While humanitarian aid continues to reach the region without interruption, Shiferaw expressed serious skepticism about whether it is being used solely for the intended purpose.

He therefore called for an immediate investigation into the 32 billion Birr worth humanitarian aid supplies sent to the region in order to determine how they were used.

"In this context, I urge the Federal Government and all humanitarian stakeholders to ask: ‘Where did the 2 million quintals and the 32 billion Birr (sent in 2025) go? What happened to these resources?’ These questions must be raised to uncover the truth and end the ongoing confusion," the Commissioner stressed.

He also called on the international community to be cautious of the illegal “TPLF” group, warning them against its pattern of exploiting hunger for cheap political gains and capturing international attention.

 After losing federal power in 2018, the “TPLF” increasingly shifted its strategy outward, from domestic political arenas to international advocacy spaces, many observers say.

The recent allegations surrounding the Hitsatse temporary shelter follow this established pattern, Shiferaw underlined.

ENA has observed that social media posts, diaspora-oriented blogs, and “TPLF”-aligned outlets portray the situation as one of abandonment, starvation, and diminishing assistance, often accompanied by emotive imagery, emergency appeals, and claims of deaths from hunger and malnutrition.

The Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commissioner has vehemently rejected the claims, stating that humanitarian food assistance at Hitsatse and other shelters has been complete and uninterrupted.

Food distribution has continued throughout the year, with regular assistance provided consistently.