Ethiopia and UN ‘reach Tigray aid deal’
UN spokesman Saviano Abreu said an assessment mission would begin later on Wednesday. There has been no word so far from the Ethiopian government.
Food and medicines are said to be running out for millions of people.
Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed in the month-long fighting between the federal army and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
The Ethiopian government said the regional capital Mekelle was seized over the weekend, but TPLF soldiers said they were still fighting near the city.
The conflict has displaced tens of thousands of people, and sent a wave of refugees fleeing into Sudan.
media captionThe BBC’s Anne Soy reports from a refugee camp on the Sudan-Ethiopian border
In a separate development, the Ethiopian authorities said one of the most senior TPLF figures had surrendered. Keriya Ibrahim is the former speaker of the regional parliament.
The TPLF has not publicly commented on the issue.
Africa Live: More on this and other stories
Ethiopian soldiers accused of blocking border with Sudan
Can Ethiopia ignore Africa’s diplomats?
Why Ethiopia may be marching into guerrilla war
What did the UN and Ethiopia reportedly agree on?
The UN will have “unimpeded, sustained and secure” access to deliver aid to the government-held areas of Tigray under the agreement, the UN’s humanitarian agency Ocha said.
