BOW, New Hampshire — Now in its eighth month, the conflict in Tigray has led to nearly two million internally displaced people. Hundreds of thousands fled to Tigray’s largest cities while others went to overcrowded schools or other public areas. Massive displacement and ongoing violence create a host of problems. People struggle to find basic necessities and healthcare in Tigray becomes difficult to find. The government’s conflicting reports and a lack of data make it difficult to fully assess the situation; however, evidence suggests it is worse than the government lets on.
Timeline of the Conflict:
- 1993 – Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia. However, tension with Tigray, a region in Ethiopia, remains. Ethiopia consists of ten regions that have their own police and militia. Regions have some autonomy, and Tigray has a large amount of power in the country despite being only 6% of the population.
- 1998 to 2000 – “Ethiopia and Eritrea fought a war that killed thousands.” The war ended in a stalemate and led to a complete lack of cooperation between countries.
- 2018 – Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power, threatening the dominance of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front. He promised significant reforms and formed a national party; however, the TPLF refused to join as it would diminish its power in the country.
- 2019 – Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed won a Nobel Peace Prize for creating a truce with Eritrea. Domestic reforms also factored in as he “released thousands of political prisoners, moved to open up the telecommunications industry and expand private investment.”
- September 2020 – Tigray held regional elections even though Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed had decided to postpone them due to Covid-19.
- November 2020 – Tension between the federal government and the TPLF comes to a head as the Prime Minister deployed Ethiopian National Defense Forces into Tigray taking the capital by November 28. While he declared victory, fighting continued and the conflict remains extremely concerning.
- July 2021 – The conflict continues to be dangerous. However, communication challenges mean organizations and journalists struggle to understand the full implications of the conflict. The Ethiopian government did agree to have the World Food Program help with food access. Reports find Ethiopia’s military is “responsible for sexual violence, ethnic-based targeted attacks and large-scale looting.” According to the United Nations, “three million Tigrayans urgently need assistance” as the possibility of famine grows. Healthcare in Tigray is another problem as it has decreased while the demand only goes up.
Healthcare Struggles in Tigray
Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) found 70% of health facilities in Tigray had been vandalized or looted. Between December and March, only 13% of health facilities were operating normally. Health centers in Debre Abay and May Kuhli, located in northwest Tigray, had damaged equipment, smashed windows and scattered files. A hospital in Adwa had “deliberately smashed” equipment.
Additionally, Ethiopian and Eritrean soldiers appeared to occupy hospitals, but both governments denied it. However, reports from MSF tell a different story. MSF says Abiy Addi hospital was used as a military base and the public did not have access. It additionally found Eritrean soldiers using a health center in Mugulat, east Tigray, and that an armed group seized ambulances.
Healthcare in Tigray currently struggles to meet the demand of the public. In London, the Ethiopian Embassy responded to MSF saying they “failed to acknowledge the government’s efforts to fix the infrastructure and restore the health sector.” The Ethiopian embassy also said that “75% of hospitals in Tigray were now operational and 10% were” at least partially operational. In regards to the current pandemic, it reported that “90% of healthcare workers were providing the required health services and that it had rolled out a Covid-19 vaccination campaign.”
Impact of Volunteer Healthcare Workers
Volunteer nurses and doctors continue to be critical in continuing healthcare in Tigray by helping displaced people in the region. For example, 1,800 displaced people live in one of the sites where only 16 nurses volunteer to work with a lead doctor and some recently graduated doctors who are also volunteering to help.
Dr. Haile Haregot says of the nurses that the doctors “benefit from their various specialties as some are trained to help victims of sexual and gender-based violence.” Screening kids for malnutrition is another specialty nurses are providing. During the conflict, volunteers have been critical for healthcare in Tigray, especially for displaced people.
Issues usually consist of things like coughs or diarrhea, but hypertension and possible cases of malaria exist as well. However, a lack of resources makes diagnosing malaria difficult. Resources are scarce and most displaced people have to rely on the local community for assistance.
The United Nations Refugee Agency
The United Nations Refugee Agency recently increased its response to the crisis, supplying blankets, mosquito nets, soap and other necessities to displaced people in Tigray. The UNHCR has provided at least 13,000 households with aid and supplies. Along with that, the organization provided “protection desks” in Shire and Mekelle.
Displaced people can “access vital services and information, share concerns with the UNHCR staff, get psychosocial counseling and be referred to relevant services.” April and May alone had more than 700 counseling sessions.
Volunteers and international organizations have helped improve healthcare in Tigray for displaced people as the conflict continues. The conflict in Tigray continues. Fortunately, there are groups working to help those in need who are suffering from the conflict. Conflict resolution is essential to truly provide the help that Ethiopia needs.
– Alex Alfano
Photo: Flickr