Researchers have corroborated the harrowing figure of at least 1,329 hunger-related deaths in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia, subsequent to a ceasefire that terminated a two-year conflict last November.
A study, collaboratively conducted by local health authorities and the Mekelle University in Tigray’s capital, revealed that hunger has emerged as the predominant cause of mortality in Tigray, accounting for a staggering 68% of the researched deaths.
The study, rooted in a survey of families collated by healthcare workers from August 15-29, covered 9 sub-regions in Tigray and 53 internally displaced persons (IDP) camps. Overall, Tigray houses 88 such sub-regions and 643 IDP camps, indicating that the real number of hunger-induced deaths across the region is undoubtedly much higher.
The suspension of food aid to Tigray by the United States and the United Nations stands as a significant factor exacerbating the hunger crisis. This decision came on the heels of an exposed plot in March to misappropriate food aid within Tigray. Later, in June, after confirming the pervasiveness of the theft across the nation, both the UN and Washington extended this aid halt to encompass other Ethiopian regions.
While the Ethiopian government seeks to reinstate the aid, the US government and the UN press for Addis Ababa to relinquish control over the food aid delivery system.
Remarkably, the suspension of aid was followed by a sharp spike in hunger-induced death rates in Tigray. Numbers nearly doubled from 159 deaths in March to 305 in July.
Tigray, a region in northern Ethiopia, has been engulfed in conflict since November 2020, leading to widespread displacement, dire humanitarian conditions, and a severe food crisis. The complexities of this crisis have evolved into an extensive concern for global humanitarian agencies and governments worldwide.
