11 March 2024
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia -The arid expanse of Ethiopia’s Tigray region paints a desolate picture. Lush fields, once teeming with life, now lie barren testaments to a confluence of crises. A brutal two-year war has ravaged the land, leaving its people teetering on the edge of famine. The unforgiving hand of climate change has compounded the misery, its scorching grip tightening with each passing season.
Inside the walls of a health center, a stark drama unfolds. Ada Arae Girmay, a mother of ten, cradles her malnourished twins. Their sole sustenance comes from the center’s meager supply of supplementary food. The once-proud farmer grieves the loss of her livelihood, replaced by a gnawing hunger that haunts every waking moment.
This desperation is a chorus echoing throughout the region. Mothers clutch their children, their faces etched with worry. Tadesse Mehari, the health director, bears witness to the unfolding tragedy. Displaced himself by the conflict, he speaks of widespread suffering, of bellies rumbling with emptiness, and lives hanging by a thread.
Hospitals, once bastions of healing, lie in ruins. Even basic care is a luxury in this war-torn land. The esteemed Aydar hospital in Mekelle stands as a grim symbol of a shattered healthcare system. Beyond the health facilities, the specter of hunger spills over into villages. Driven by desperation, villagers congregate outside district leader offices, their empty homes offering no solace.
Haile Gebre Kirstos, a 70-year-old farmer, plows his parched land, a haunted look in his eyes. The memories of the 1980s famine dance in his head, fueled by the unusually dry season. His once fertile land, which sustained his livestock, now yields nothing but dust. With a heavy heart, he begins plowing months earlier than usual, a desperate gamble against the encroaching famine.
The roots of this hunger crisis run deep. The two-year war has disrupted agricultural activities and access to vital fertilizers. Humanitarian aid, a lifeline for many, faces hurdles. The UN and US have suspended assistance due to allegations of aid theft by Ethiopian authorities.
Residents, in a show of earlier support for Tigrayan fighters, donated their grain reserves, further tightening the noose around the region’s food security.
Experts point towards the alleged looting of aid by the Ethiopian government as a deliberate tactic to weaken the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). This act, they argue, constitutes a war crime, a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.
Tigrayan officials accuse the government of downplaying the severity of the crisis. They believe this to be one of the worst famines the region has ever faced. A rare admission by the national ombudsman acknowledges nearly 400 deaths from starvation in Tigray and Amhara regions. This grim statistic underscores the urgent need for international intervention to avert a full-blown catastrophe
