MARCH 18, 2021

Biden dispatches U.S. senator to Ethiopia over humanitarian crisis

By Daphne Psaledakis

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden is sending Senator Chris Coons to Ethiopia to meet with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and convey the president’s “grave concerns” over the humanitarian crisis in the Tigray region, where thousands have died following fighting.
Sen. Chris Coons questions then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on July 30, 2020. GREG NASH-POOL/GETTY IMAGES

Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement on Thursday that Coons – a longtime Biden ally – would also consult with the African Union.