UN voices grave concern as fighting spreads across northern Ethiopia

The United Nations expressed grave concern on Friday over the escalating violence in northern Ethiopia, where fighting has expanded across multiple fronts, severely disrupting humanitarian operations. UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric highlighted reports of drone strikes and civilian casualties, urging all parties to exercise restraint and resolve differences through dialogue. Secretary-General António Guterres is actively engaging with regional leaders to de-escalate the crisis, which risks reigniting full-scale war in the north, as seen in the 2020 Tigray conflict.

Internet and call services have been largely cut in Tigray, where many rely on mobile banking due to limited access to cash and ATMs. The 2020–2022 Tigray war began after tensions between Ethiopia’s federal government and the TPLF escalated into conflict, drawing in Eritrean forces and spreading to neighboring regions. The UN welcomed the November 2022 peace deal mediated by the African Union but noted slow implementation progress, now threatened by renewed fighting this week.

UN Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, Guang Cong, is coordinating with the African Union and IGAD to support dialogue under the 2022 accord. The UN aid coordination office (OCHA) warned that the escalation risks worsening humanitarian needs, particularly among displaced civilians in Tigray, where below-average rainfall linked to El Niño is already exacerbating extreme weather conditions.

Insecurity is already impacting aid delivery: a drone strike in northwestern Tigray hit a food aid truck for displaced people, while road closures and armed group seizures of humanitarian vehicles have halted operations in Amhara. The UN reiterated calls for all parties to ensure safe and unhindered access for humanitarian partners, while UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk condemned reported airstrikes on five schools in Tigray on 22 September and a mortar strike in Kobo, Amhara, that killed civilians two days later.