Ever since the war began in the Tigray, a region home to over 5 million people, much damage has occurred. Amid the rivalry, some members from both parties have tried endorsing peace. But the efforts have failed, and numerous fighters from both sides and innocent Tigrayan residents have ended up dead.
Tens of thousands of other locals chose to flee the conflict and seek safer shelter elsewhere. Most of these locals decided to cross over into neighboring Sudan to escape the fighting. More than 45,000 refugees from Tigray are now living in remote parts of Sudan. They have taken shelter in crowded camps where the food and water are running out fast.
Humanitarian workers in the Tigray state that they struggle to provide care, shelter, and food for the individuals arriving. Additionally, the Covid-19 pandemic is yet another concern for humanitarian workers helping refugees.
Witnesses from Tigray say Eritrean Involved in Conflict.
Some refugees have given their accounts of the horrific fighting in the Tigray, pleading for it to stop. Several refugees confirm that Eritrean troops are involved in the Ethiopian conflict. When the conflict began, Tigray forces confirmed they had attacked Eritrea as they thought the country was assisting Ethiopia to fight them. The Tigray forces’ actions worried many Ethiopian authorities as they thought Eritrean would join in the conflict.
Witnesses estimate the numbers of Eritrean soldiers in the region to be in the thousands. The witnesses accuse the soldiers of looting, sexual violence, assaults in refugee camps, and other human rights abuses. Additionally, the refugees claim the Eritrean soldiers forcibly returned Eritrean refugees from Tigray to Eritrea. One witness account revealed the soldiers focused on taking anything of value, even diapers. On the road, locals could see trucks full of boxes with addresses to places in Eritrea. Even worse, the Eritrean soldiers went house-to-house, killing Tigrayan men and boys, some as young as seven.
The United Nations Says the Situation could Trigger Broader Destabilization.
But many of the witness accounts can’t be verified as communication links in Tigray are still down. Most of the reporters have been getting information from witnesses or survivors and others. Meanwhile, humanitarian workers ask the Ethiopian government to allow for safe and unhindered humanitarian access to the region. Ethiopia’s Tigray region remains largely cut off from the outside world, with Ethiopian forces often accompanying aid.
Because of the horrific witness accounts and the belief that Eritrea is involved in the fighting, the U.N has raised concerns that Ethiopia’s Tigray region could trigger broader destabilization in Ethiopia. U.N aid Chief Mark Lowcock also said the organization expresses worry as the Ethiopian government hasn’t let enough aid workers access the region. Due to this, the conflict in the region could worsen the dire humanitarian situation.
Additionally, the United Nations is concerned that Tigray’s situation could cause broader national and regional destabilization. The U.N discovered that the Ethiopian authorities are operating in lower numbers than before. This meant that protection and aid were lower in the region, and the area would deteriorate quickly.
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