UN shocked by seven diplomats expulsion from Ethiopia

UN secretary General Antonio Guterres

Secretary-General António Guterres said it was engaging with the government "in the expectation" the affected staff could "continue their important work".

Ethiopia earlier declared the seven "persona non grata" and said they had 72 hours to leave the country.

The UN has raised concerns in recent weeks about a "de-facto" blockade of aid to the war-torn region of Tigray.

UN aid chief Martin Griffiths earlier this week said he assumed there was now famine in Tigray and urged the Ethiopian government to "get those trucks moving".

Ethiopia's UN mission in New York said claims of a blockade were "baseless".

Thousands of people have been killed and more than two million have fled their homes since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered a military offensive against regional forces in Tigray in November 2020.

He said he did so in response to an attack on a military base housing government troops there.

The escalation came after months of feuding between Mr Abiy's government and the TPLF over the reforms he was pursuing.

Ethiopia has declared the TPLF a terrorist organisation, while it insists that it is the legitimate government in Tigray.

The expulsions announced on Thursday include the head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) and the head of the UN Children's Fund (Unicef) in Ethiopia. It is not clear what the allegations are against them.

Washington has condemned "in the strongest possible terms" Ethiopia's "unprecedented" decision.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the US "will not hesitate" to impose sanctions against "those who obstruct humanitarian assistance".