UN Warns of Civilian Crisis as Ethiopia Fighting Escalates

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk warned on September 25 that civilians face a severe threat following a sharp escalation of fighting in Ethiopia. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has seized local airports and launched attacks into the Afar and Amhara states, declaring a "full-blown war" with the federal government.

Federal forces have responded with significant military action. The Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) conducted airstrikes and drone attacks on five Tigray schools on September 22, followed by a mortar strike in Kobo town on September 23, both resulting in civilian casualties. Turk condemned the arbitrary conscription of civilians by government forces and the forced mass recruitment of civilians and children by the TPLF.

Communication disruptions have further complicated the situation, with near-total outages of internet and phone networks in Tigray. These blackouts have raised international fears of a return to the devastating blockade experienced during the 2020-22 civil war.