UNFPA Ethiopia Response to the Northern Ethiopia crisis – Situation report (16 to 30 November 2021)

Background

On November 4, 2020, conflict broke out in Tigray region,
Northern Ethiopia, between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF). One year later, the humanitarian situation remains extremely dire and continues to deteriorate, with severe impact on civilians leading to mass displacement and limiting the delivery of humanitarian assistance to those in need. The political dynamics across the region changed drastically on June 28 following the unilateral declaration of ceasefire by the Federal Government and the subsequent withdrawal of the ENDF from and the takeover of the Tigray region by the TPLF. Since July, the conflict spiraled into the neighboring regions of Afar and Amhara causing a large-scale upsurge in displacement and aggravating the humanitarian situation with nearly 7 million people in need across the three regions (5.2 million1 in Tigray and the rest in Amhara and Afar regions). Approximately 3 million people are estimated to be displaced as a result of the conflict across Northern Ethiopia: 2.1 million people in Tigray, 789,035 in Amhara (North Gondar, Central Gondar, South Wollo, South Gondar, and Awi zones), and 323,000 in Afar (zones 2 and 4), according to recent assessments by regional authorities. In October alone, 60,657 people were displaced in Afar and 354,790 in Amhara regions as a result of the conflict, according to IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix.
On November 2, 202,1 the Ethiopian Government declared a state of emergency for six months across the country, following the expansion of hostilities across the Amhara region and TPLF’s declaration of intentions to reach the capital, Addis Ababa. The tension among all partie s is escalating on different fronts, with active fighting – including airstrikes reported in Tigray’s capital, Mekelle – expanding across Afar and Amhara regions. Humanitarian operations have been significantly reduced or even suspended due to the lack of fuel, cash and supplies. The ongoing hostilities have caused significant damages to civilian infrastructure and public services across the three regions, depriving a large segment of the population healthcare services. Access remains challenging for many humanitarian partners to reach people with life-saving assistance in many parts of Northern Ethiopia.

Source: United Nations Population Fund