The below is attributable to Spokesperson Rebecca Chalif:
Today, Administrator Samantha Power spoke with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland Pekka Haavisto. They discussed the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia and the need to continue coordination to help alleviate the suffering of the Ethiopian people.
Administrator Power discussed her recent visit to Ethiopia and the urgent need to work together to press the Government of Ethiopia to remove bureaucratic obstruction to humanitarian operations so that aid—including desperately needed food assistance—can reach Tigray. The Administrator and Minister Haavisto also discussed the humanitarian impact of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) offensives in Amhara and Afar regions, and Administrator Power emphasized that USAID is providing humanitarian support to newly displaced Ethiopians in those regions. They also discussed their shared commitment to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan and ongoing assistance efforts in Haiti following the August 14th earthquake.