The plight of civilians in Ethiopia's Tigray region

Issued on: 05/07/2021 - 

FOCUS © FRANCE 24

By:Maria GERTH-NICULESCU|Marika JULIEN
7 min
For the past eight months in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region, the country's federal army, backed by Eritrean soldiers and neighbouring regional Amhara forces, has been battling the Tigray People's Liberation Front. The fighting has left thousands of people dead and more than two million displaced. Humanitarian organisations are confronted with multiple obstacles to access the region's remote areas. As a result, thousands of civilians face famine. Our correspondents report.

On June 28, the Ethiopian government declared a unilateral ceasefire after several military defeats. The move could represent some hope for civilian populations. But reconstruction work will take time, as many farmers have not been able to plough their fields before the rainy season.

Our correspondents Maria Gerth-Niculescu and Marika Julien report from the centre of Tigray, one of the areas most affected by the war.

Programme prepared by Olivia Bizot.