People go hungry in Ethiopia’s Tigray as conflict marches on
Associated PressNAIROBI, Kenya — People are going hungry in Ethiopia’s rebellious northern Tigray region as roads are blocked, airports are closed and the federal government marches on its capital in a final push to win a two-week war. Abiy’s office on Wednesday tried to ease those fears, saying its “law enforcement operation” against a Tigray regional leadership it regards as illegal is “primarily” targeting members of that ruling circle. “The people of Tigray will be the first to benefit,” the statement said, as senior government officials vow the fighting will end within days. “Communications services in the Tigray region should be restored immediately.” U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock said, “I call for full access to reach people in need wherever they are.” Even before the conflict almost 1 million in the Tigray region needed humanitarian assistance, he said. The locust outbreak, the region’s worst in decades, has “destroyed vast areas of cropped land and numerous swarms remain active.” The locust outbreak is so serious that even neighboring Eritrea, which has been almost silent on the conflict despite the Tigray forces firing rockets at its capital, speaks relatively openly about the insect invasion.