As famine grips Ethiopia's Tigray region, government orders U.N. humanitarian workers to leave the country
CBSN
United Nations — The humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia's Tigray region "is spiraling out of control," according to the U.N. humanitarian chief, Martin Griffiths, with 5.2 million people in need of food aid and 400,000 living in famine-like conditions. The crisis is one that U.N. agencies and other international aid organizations have been trying to address for months.
The U.N.'s World Food Program says malnutrition rates are 80% for pregnant and breastfeeding women in the region.
Yet as widespread starvation looms, the government of Ethiopia announced it was expelling seven U.N. humanitarian workers "for meddling in the internal affairs of the country." It said it considered the officials "persona non grata," an international law term usually applied to diplomats, and ordered them to leave within the next 72 hours.
