Irreparable humanitarian consequences of war for Ethiopia’s Tigray region

According to the National Disaster Risk Management Commission, starting from April and May, 595 displaced people have died of hunger and severe malnutrition in the northwest, east, and southwest zones of Tigray region.

The two years of fighting between regional forces and Ethiopia’s federal army with its allies drove people from their homes, destroyed harvests, and disrupted food aid, exacerbated by persistent drought, making about a fifth of the 6 million people in Tigray region severely food insecure up to February, 2023, according to the World Food Program (WFP).

As highlighted by different reports and evidence from the region, many people are dying directly or indirectly from hunger since aid flows to Tigray resumed after the November ceasefire but were temporarily halted earlier this year on the assumption that some aid was being diverted from those in need. According to the National Disaster Risk Management Commission, starting from April and May, 595 displaced people have died of hunger and severe malnutrition in the northwest, east, and southwest zones of Tigray region.

The gross humanitarian conditions are evident in different parts, including Abiy Addi, about 54 km west of Mekelle, where 51000 people displaced by fighting have taken refuge. Reports by those working at the refugee camps indicate the critical conditions of people due to malnutrition, reaching 118 at a makeshift camp in a local school as only one instance.

If serious actions are not taken, the global community will have to witness the death of many innocent children, women, and men. Many displaced people witness the death of their family members, wishing and praying to not see their children dying before them.