On November 4, 2020, unelected Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed enacted a “law-and-order operation” against the elected Tigray regional government. Soon after the declaration, it became clear this was a regional war with the involvement of foreign actors. Abiy has opposed international mediation efforts.
It has been five months since the war began. Over the course of these five months, Tigrayans have endured population displacement, starvation, healthcare emergencies, lack of access to essential services and needs, and other war crimes. More than 70,000 civilians have reportedly died, though this number was released by several Tigrayan political opposition groups in early February 2021, and no new estimate has been released despite reports of continued massacres. Over 75,000 Tigrayans have fled into Sudan, over 2.2 million Tigrayans are internally displaced, and 4.5 million Tigrayans are at risk of starvation.
There have also been countless reports of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) by Ethiopian and Eritrean forces and militias. Those who are able to report their stories of SGBV do so at a risk to their safety. At the end of March 2021, reports emerged that soldiers went to the only One-Stop-Center in Mekelle and intimidated the survivors. Further, the war on Tigray has crippled the region’s healthcare infrastructure, affecting over 6 million people. Over 80 percent of health facilities in Tigray are defunct because they have been looted, bombed, or now lack medical staff, and most life saving medicines are not available.
Aid agencies have only been able to reach 16 percent of Tigray’s population. Internet services have been consistently down and telephone services mostly cut off, with sporadic connectivity across Tigray. The Ethiopian government has largely restricted local and international media agencies from entering Tigray. The Ethiopian government suspended the licenses of BBC and Reuters, two of the largest international media organizations soon after the war began. In February and March 2021, representatives from some international media outlets were allowed into Tigray’s capital, Mekelle, though their access to civilians was limited.
The stories from these international media outlets has shown the severity of the atrocities being committed in Tigray.
The Eritrean government is heavily involved in carrying out mass indiscriminate killing of civilians, sexual and gender-based violence, looting, and destroying infrastructure and UNESCO heritage sites. The European Union has joined the United States in calling for the withdrawal of Eritrean troops, which are fueling the conflict in Tigray, committing atrocities and exacerbating ethnic violence, from Ethiopia. On March 23, 2021, in response to mounting international pressure, Abiy acknowledged the presence of Eritrean troops and the potential atrocities they committed, and stated that “Eritrea will withdraw troops from Ethiopia.” That said, diaspora who were able to reach their families in Tigray in late March were told that more Eritrean forces have entered the northern parts of Adigrat, Tigray.
