OMNA TIGRAY – JUNE 2021 SITUATION REPORT

On November 4, 2020, Ethiopia’s unelected Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed mobilized the Ethiopian National Defense forces (ENDF), the Eritrean Defense Forces (EDF), the Amhara Special Forces, and Afar Special Forces to launch a war against the 7 million people of the region of Tigray, the northernmost region of the Ethiopian federation. In a statement shared on Twitter while much of the world was focused on the outcome of the American elections, the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize winner declared a war that has unleashed the worst humanitarian crisis in recent memory. Despite the Ethiopian regime’s repeated assertions that this is a “domestic” operation directed against a political entity, the ongoing involvement of Eritrean troops, the reported use of armed drones, the atrocious human rights abuses, and escalating humanitarian crisis in Tigray clearly show that this is an all-out war being waged against the people of
Tigray.

In the 200+ days since the declaration of war, there have been verified reports of widespread civilian massacres, extrajudicial executions, sexual and gender based violence, weaponized starvation, looting, destruction of health care facilities, and forced displacement of millions of Tigrayans. The picture emerging from these seven months of war—albeit incomplete due to a telecommunications blockade affecting large swaths of the region—provides a glimpse into the level of devastation in Tigray. According to the latest figures, over 70,000 civilians have been killed in Tigray ^[1]Associated Press. (2021, March 19). Ethiopian Diplomat Urges Peace Talks in Tigray War. VOA News.
https://www.voanews.com/africa/ethiopian-diplomat-urges-peace-talks- tigray-war, while 70,000 have been forced to seek refuge in Sudan ^[2]Bearak, M. (2021, March 26). In Sudan’s sweltering camps, refugees from Tigray dream of independence from Ethiopia. Washington Post. … Continue reading, and 2.2 million more people have been internally displaced ^[3]Reuters Staff. (2021, January 6). Over 2 million people displaced by conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region – local official. Reuters. … Continue reading. Of the region’s 7 million residents, more than 91% or 5.2 million people are in dire need of emergency food assistance – 2.3 million of them are children ^[4]UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore. (2020, November 19). 2.3 million children in Tigray region ofEthiopia need humanitarian assistance, as thousands flee across border into Sudan. Press … Continue reading.

In addition to attacks against the safety and security of Tigrayan civilians, the Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Amhara forces have also undertaken the wholesale destruction of essential infrastructure and services in the region. Over 80% of healthcare facilities and over 99% of ambulances have been looted, vandalized, or destroyed, exacerbating the already dire humanitarian conditions ^[5]Harter, F. (2021, 29 May). Ethiopian Hospitals Trashed by Soldiers as Tigray Fighting Escalates. The Times. … Continue reading. Moreover, 75% of state and private universities have been destroyed while countless sacred and religious institutions have been desecrated ^[6]Africa News and AFP. (2021, April 30). Heritage Sites Under Siege in Ethiopia’s Tigray War. Africa News and AFP. … Continue reading. These facts and figures paint a vivid picture of the reality on the ground: far from being a ‘domestic law and order’ operation, this is a genocidal war waged by the Eritrean and Ethiopian regimes to annihilate the history and culture, political existence, and future of the people of Tigray.

Under the leadership of Abiy Ahmed—in consort with the dictator of Eritrea, Isaias Afewerki— this war has been waged in the dark, making it impossible to obtain up-to-date information on the true extent of destruction in the region. Despite urgent calls by the international community, the Ethiopian government has refused to provide unhindered access to aid organizations or international journalists. As such, the figures mentioned above do not reflect the true magnitude of the destruction caused by the genocidal war in Tigray.