The United States ambassador to Ethiopia will visit the war-hit Tigray region on Wednesday.
Thousands were killed and hundreds of thousands have been displaced after a government-led military campaign against regional forces in November last year.
Last week, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Ethiopia to allow an international investigation into alleged atrocities in the northern region.
Ambassador Pasi and members of the U.S. Embassy will travel to Tigray today. This is her first official trip, and it underscores America's partnership with the people of Ethiopia. The U.S. is committed to providing life-saving assistance to vulnerable populations in Ethiopia.
— U.S. Embassy Addis (@USEmbassyAddis) March 10, 2021
The US embassy said in a Tweet it was “committed to providing life-saving assistance to vulnerable populations in Ethiopia”.
Access to the region has been limited to aid agencies and foreign bodies.
Over 131,000 people are displaced in 39 accessible locations in Ethiopia’s #Tigray region and neighbouring Afar and Amhara, @UNmigration’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) survey finds. pic.twitter.com/2J0KRohVzt
— IOM Ethiopia (@IOMEthiopia) March 9, 2021
The US visit comes as the United Nations agency the IOM said on Wednesday that more than 131,000 people are displaced in 29 accessible locations in Tigray.
The UN said last month that 521,200 people had been displaced and 61,0011 had sought safety in eastern Sudan.