US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Thursday said his country is providing more than $18 million to Ethiopia in support of the country’s rehabilitation activities.Secretary Pompeo said the donation is extended in humanitarian assistance to help refugees and host communities affected by the law enforcement operation in Tigray region.

He tweeted that civilians must be protected from harm and humanitarian workers should be provided safe and unhindered access to the affected areas.
Washington has been accusing Addis Ababa of inviting Eritrean troops in the Tigray conflict, although both Ethiopia and Eritrea have repeatedly denied the claim.

The US claimed Eritrean troops were fighting alongside the Ethiopian army in the northern Tigray state against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).

As the second most populous country in Africa, Ethiopia is one of the US government’s largest and most complex assistance programs.

In 2019, an estimated 8.2 million people in Ethiopia required emergency assistance, and 8 million Ethiopians are chronically food insecure and receive support from the Government of Ethiopia’s (GOE) safety net program.