The United States relaxes aid restrictions for Ethiopia, claiming progress in human rights

According to White House national security spokesperson John Kirby, the US has relaxed some aid restrictions for Ethiopia in light of recent human rights advances.According to Kirby, human rights have improved dramatically after the cease-fire agreements reached by the Ethiopian government and forces from the Tigray region in November. The agreement brought an end to a struggle that had left hundreds of thousands hungry, millions uprooted, and tens of thousands slain. Despite a decrease in overall violations since the truce, rights groups warn that violence, including ethnic cleansing, has continued in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region, as reported by Reuters. "We are lifting some restrictions on certain kinds of assistance while pausing food aid," Kirby explained. "This decision, we believe, expands the tools available to us to bolster our support for a durable peace in Ethiopia."