Ethiopia sends food supplies to Tigray’s capital

Ethiopia’s government says it has sent 30 lorries of food supplies to Mekelle, the capital of the northern Tigray state, where it overthrew the regional administration.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s office said it included 12,500 bags of food weighing 100kg each, with another 7,000 bags of wheat flour on the way.

An additional three lorries of medical supplies are expected to reach the city and will be distributed by Saturday, it said in a statement.

UN officials had last week said continued fighting in many parts of region was hindering efforts to deliver aid.

But the government has denied this, saying access into the region is being “coordinated in consultation with the government”.

Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed in the the month-long conflict, while tens of thousands have been displaced, with a wave of refugees fleeing into Sudan