HRW calls for greater access to Tigray region to ensure civilian protection

Human Rights Watch is calling for independent monitoring in Tigray, along with access for international journalists and investigators. It also urges the restoration of communications and essential services. These steps matter because renewed fighting has created serious risks for civilians, while limited access can hide what is happening on the ground.

The group received reports of airstrikes and shelling before government forces took control of key towns. Laetitia Bader said civilians were killed and injured. Human Rights Watch also reported sexual violence against women and girls and abductions of young men in areas where Eritrean forces remained after the earlier war. Independent observers can compare accounts, inspect affected places, and record evidence.

The need is urgent because fighting has closed health facilities and strained an already weakened system. International access could improve accountability and help show whether warring parties are protecting civilians. Human Rights Watch also calls for safe humanitarian access, so aid and medical support can reach people in danger.

Tigray is Ethiopia’s northern region. It has been central to recent conflicts because fighting there produced the 2020–2022 war and has now resumed. The region remains heavily affected by that earlier conflict, which damaged health services and caused extensive civilian suffering. Its location also matters politically because Eritrean forces fought there alongside Ethiopian forces.

The renewed violence followed rising tensions involving Ethiopia, Tigrayan forces, and Eritrea. Human Rights Watch reported airstrikes and shelling before government forces took control of key towns. It also continued receiving reports of abuses in areas where Eritrean forces remained, including sexual violence and abductions. These developments connect the present fighting to unresolved wartime issues.

Tigray’s importance therefore extends beyond one round of battles. The renewed fighting has undermined the 2022 Pretoria peace agreement between Ethiopia’s government and Tigrayan forces. Rising Ethiopia-Eritrea tensions have also raised fears of a wider conflict, while civilians face renewed harm and weakened services.

The renewed fighting has harmed civilians and weakened the systems they depend on. Human Rights Watch received reports that airstrikes and shelling killed and injured people. Health facilities were forced to close, further straining a health system already weakened by years of conflict. Restoring services matters because civilians may be unable to reach treatment when violence or illness strikes.

The article gives a concrete picture of the pressure. Government forces took control of key towns after reported airstrikes and shelling. In areas where Eritrean forces remained, Human Rights Watch received reports of sexual violence against women and girls and abductions of young men. Communications were also disrupted, making it harder for residents to report harm and for responders to coordinate assistance.

The current reality is a deepening humanitarian crisis. Human Rights Watch urges restoration of communications and essential services, plus safe humanitarian access. Without those measures, civilians may remain cut off from medical care, aid, and independent scrutiny while the peace agreement continues to weaken.

Researchers at Ghent University in Belgium estimated that the 2020–2022 war caused 500,000 civilian deaths. This figure is broader than a battlefield death count. It includes people who died directly from violence, as well as those affected by famine and the collapse of health services. The estimate shows how war can kill through both attacks and the destruction of basic systems.

The article links the figure to the earlier conflict between Ethiopia’s government and Tigrayan forces. Eritrean troops fought alongside Ethiopian forces during that war. The conflict damaged health services so severely that their collapse contributed to the civilian death toll. Food shortages and violence added further causes of death, making the war’s impact much wider than combat losses alone.

The estimate gives context to the renewed fighting. Reports of new civilian deaths, injuries, closed health facilities, and disrupted services raise concern that similar harm could return. Human Rights Watch is calling for monitoring, safe humanitarian access, and restored services to help protect civilians and prevent further losses.

The 2022 Pretoria peace agreement was an agreement between Ethiopia’s government and Tigrayan forces. Its purpose was to establish peace after the devastating 2020–2022 war. The article does not detail every provision, but it makes clear that renewed fighting has undermined the agreement. That matters because the deal represented an effort to stop major violence in Tigray.

The latest fighting included reported airstrikes and shelling before government forces took control of key towns. Civilians were killed and injured, and health facilities closed. Eritrean forces also remained in parts of Tigray, although Eritrea was not a party to the peace agreement. Reports of abuses in those areas added to unresolved tensions after the deal.

The agreement is therefore under serious pressure. Human Rights Watch is calling for independent monitoring, restored communications, essential services, and safe humanitarian access. Rising tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea further complicate the situation and have raised fears that the conflict could widen beyond Tigray.

The main parties to the 2022 peace agreement were Ethiopia’s government and Tigrayan forces. The renewed fighting has involved government forces taking control of key towns after reported airstrikes and shelling. The article also describes Eritrean forces as remaining in parts of Tigray, where Human Rights Watch continued receiving reports of abuses. It does not identify Eritrea as a party to the renewed peace process.

During the earlier 2020–2022 war, Eritrean troops fought alongside Ethiopian forces. Eritrean forces therefore supported Ethiopia’s side in that conflict, while Tigrayan forces opposed them. The article says Eritrean troops were not included as a party to the Pretoria peace agreement. Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki has previously dismissed allegations of abuses by his forces.

Their continued presence matters because it leaves unresolved security and accountability concerns. Reports include sexual violence against women and girls and abductions of young men. Rising Ethiopia-Eritrea tensions have raised fears of a wider conflict, while Human Rights Watch urges monitoring and safe humanitarian access.

Safe humanitarian access matters because war can destroy health facilities, disrupt communications, and separate civilians from food, medicine, and protection. Aid workers can deliver essentials, medical services can treat injuries and illness, and independent observers can document attacks and abuses. Their work is possible only when warring parties allow safe passage and do not target or obstruct them.

The article describes the consequences of restricted access in Tigray. Civilians were reportedly killed and injured after airstrikes and shelling, while health facilities closed. Human Rights Watch also received reports of sexual violence against women and girls and abductions of young men. Restored communications would help communities report danger and help responders coordinate aid and medical evacuation.

Human Rights Watch calls on all warring parties to ensure safe humanitarian access. It also wants international journalists and investigators to enter the region. Together, these measures could bring assistance to civilians, preserve evidence, expose abuses, and strengthen pressure on armed actors to respect civilian protection.