"Many people are leaving the region in droves, Gedion told Al Jazeera as she sat under the shade of a tree, selling coffee to the occasional customer in an area frequented by internally displaced people (IDPs) in Tigray's capital, Mekelle. Gedion herself a displaced person is from the town of Humera, a now-disputed area with the Amhara region that witnessed heavy clashes during the 2020-2022 war between Ethiopia's federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF)."
"The now-21-year-old remembers the horrors she witnessed. Some of her family were killed, while others were abducted into neighbouring Eritrea, she says. She has not heard from them since."
"Years later, Gedion sees similar patterns as people leave Tigray most headed to the neighbouring Afar region once again looking for the safety that has become elusive at home. Recurring conflict and civil war have made us zombies rather than citizens, she told Al Jazeera. In recent weeks, enmity between Ethiopia and Eritrea has escalated amid separate accusations by both sides."
Saba Gedion fled fighting in Humera during the 2020–2022 war and remains displaced in Mekelle, bearing memories of family killed and relatives abducted into Eritrea. Many residents are leaving Tigray again, primarily toward the neighbouring Afar region, seeking safety that has become elusive. Recurring conflict and civil war have deeply traumatized communities and undermined normal civic life. Recent rhetoric about Ethiopia's access to the Red Sea has heightened enmity with Eritrea, prompting mutual accusations and raising fears that interstate tensions could reignite conflict involving Addis Ababa and northern Tigray leadership.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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