The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) said Thursday it had suspended food aid to Ethiopia because what it was providing was not reaching those in need.

An IAEA spokesperson said in a statement that, in cooperation with the Ethiopian government, it had monitored "a coordinated and wide-ranging campaign to divert food assistance to the Ethiopian people."

The statement did not say who was responsible for the campaign or to whom the aid was transferred.

The United States is the largest donor of humanitarian aid to Ethiopia, where more than 20 million people need food aid, mostly due to drought and the recently ended war in the northern Tigray region.

The agency believes the food is being diverted to Ethiopian military units, according to an internal affidavit by a group of foreign donors seen by Reuters, and Ethiopian government spokesmen did not respond to requests for comment. USAID also declined to comment on the report.

The agency's spokesman said it intended to resume food aid as soon as it was sure the system was safe.

Welcome

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed the Ethiopian government's commitment to work with Washington to conduct a thorough investigation into aid diversions and hold those involved accountable.

The US State Department said in a statement that Blinken's welcome came during a meeting with Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Demeke Mekonnen on the sidelines of the meeting of the international coalition against the Islamic State, held in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, where the minister also praised the progress made in achieving lasting peace in Ethiopia.

Claude Gebedar, director of the World Food Programme in Ethiopia, has previously said the U.N. aid agency is investigating the theft of food aid from life-saving humanitarian operations in Ethiopia.

The UN official expressed concern about the widespread sale of food in some markets.

That not only posed a reputational risk, but also threatened the ability of WFP to mobilize more resources for those in need.

The Associated Press quoted two aid workers as saying the stolen aid included enough to feed 100,<> people.