Concerns that the denial of access to food aid to fleeing civilians could worsen as more internally displaced people seek shelter in caves, jungles and bushes. (Photo by EDUARDO SOTERAS / AFP) (Photo by EDUARDO SOTERAS/AFP via Getty Images)
As the Ethiopia-Tigray peace talks continued this week in South Africa, international humanitarian agencies are pressing for the protection of civilians, accusing the Ethiopian government of using food as “a weapon of war”, two years into the armed conflict.
According to aid and human rights agencies, the war between Ethiopian forces and Tigray nationalists has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands civilians amid increasing concerns that humanitarian access remains limited.
The peace talks opened last week in Pretoria under the mediation of the African Union (AU) with former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo leading the contingent.
In a press briefing on Tuesday, Refugees International raised concerns about the escalating number of civilians facing what it called “widespread displacement, atrocities, human rights violations and potential famine”, noting that more needs to be done “to stave off the worst for civilians trapped in the crosshairs of the conflict”.
“The conflict risks spiralling out of control following the resumption of fighting on August 24 after a five-month ‘ceasefire’,” Refugees International said.
The organisation’s senior advocate for east and southern Africa, Abdullahi Boru Halakhe, noted that because affected civilians rely on rain-fed agriculture, this has escalated the humanitarian crisis because of successive poor harvests.
“There is always a link between war and farming. The lifeline has always been humanitarian aid but more people will die, not because there is no humanitarian aid, but because aid is not being allowed to get to people,” Halakhe told reporters at the briefing.
Since being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019, Ethiopian Prime Minister Aiby Ahmed has come under scrutiny for his role in what World Health Organisation director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus last month called the “worst humanitarian crisis in the world”. Ghebreyesus is from Tigray.
Peace talks may be compromised
“Ethiopian governments have a tremendous rich history of using food as a weapon of war. And that is one element that is very troubling,” Halakhe said.
“And so, as the peace talks are going on right now, some parts of Ethiopian governments, Eritrean, and as well as other assortment of militias are engaged in conflict. That means Tigrayans on one hand are trying to find peace with Ethiopia, but they also have to deal with what is going on in the battlefront.”
There are concerns that the denial of access to food aid to fleeing civilians could worsen as more internally displaced people seek shelter in “caves, jungles and bushes”, said Solomon Mezgebu, president of the Tigray Human Rights Forum.
“The main feature of the war is the use of food and famine as a weapon and information blackouts,” said Mezgebu who also spoke at the virtual press briefing.
“If you have up to 4-million people walking in the jungle, who will count the people dying of hunger in the bushes?” he asked.
Ethiopian authorities have been accused of shutting down the internet, while journalists have fled into exile, fearing for their lives.
“The response by the international community has been lacking because this is not a conventional war because the media has no access to information,” Mezgebu said.
“We have got to emphasise that the situation is grim and dire. The cessation of hostilities should be now, not yesterday,” Halakhe added.
In a statement dated 25 October, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged delegations to the peace talks in South Africa to “achieve lasting peace and prosperity for all Ethiopians”.
“As a first priority, it is essential to achieve an immediate cessation of hostilities. We also call on the delegations to agree on unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance to all those in need, measures to protect civilians, and Eritrea’s withdrawal from northern Ethiopia,” Blinken said.
Refugees International says there is a huge backlog in getting food to people, and this needs immediate attention. Getting aid to where it is needed would be difficult.
“Even if the conflict stops today, even if humanitarian aid comes in today, the backlog of trying to get things through makes for grim reading,” Halakhe said.
“Most children are out of school compared to areas such as Syria and Afghanistan. The impact is not just for now but the cognitive development of these children,” he added.
Information on the progress of the talks in Pretoria has been scant amid concerns by agencies that, despite the round-table AU mediation, civilians continue to flee from their homes.
“The need to upscale humanitarian aid cannot be understated. Airlift of food assistance must start immediately to assist civilians because there is no other way to reach this population,” said Mezgebu.
Former Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta and former deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka are working with Obasanjo as AU lead negotiators.
The peace talks were expected to end on Monday but by Tuesday it still wasn’t clear if the negotiators had struck any deal to end the conflict.