Tigray Residents Stockpile Supplies as Fears of Renewed War Mount

Residents across Ethiopia's northern Tigray region are stockpiling food, withdrawing cash and bracing for a possible return to full-scale conflict, after Tigrayan forces seized three local airports and opened attacks in the neighbouring Afar and Amhara regions this week.

The escalation is the most serious since the 2020-22 war between Tigrayan forces and the Ethiopian government, a conflict that killed hundreds of thousands of people. The United Nations and the European Union have both called for restraint and a return to the African Union-brokered peace process that ended the earlier fighting.

In Mekelle, the regional capital, a resident described buying up whatever might become necessary, saying basic necessities were growing harder to find or afford. The person, who asked not to be named for security reasons, said there was a mounting fear that conditions could slide into the kind of siege seen during the previous war. Tigrayan forces were patrolling the streets and drones could be heard overhead, the resident added.

In Adigrat, a town near the Eritrean border, another resident reported panic-buying and emptying shops. Food shortages were worsening as market shelves stood bare, while essential medicines remained scarce and extremely expensive, the resident said, describing daily survival as a constant calculation.

Both residents said they had seen young people forced to join the war effort, spreading fear among the wider population. One recalled an 18-year-old whose father died in the last war and who was taken away by force, in an apparent reference to recruitment by the Tigray People's Liberation Front.

Addis Ababa has accused the TPLF of launching a major offensive, while TPLF leaders say they entered a "defensive" war to counter aggression by the federal government, which they say has used drones, artillery and ground forces against them. A government official said the TPLF had carried out a premeditated assault on civilian infrastructure by seizing airports in Tigray, but stressed that the door to dialogue remained open for any groups that laid down their arms.

Power outages were reported in Lalibela, a town in Amhara known for its medieval rock-hewn churches and listed as a world heritage site, with residents rushing to withdraw cash.

The TPLF has recently formed an alliance with six other armed groups from across Ethiopia, including former wartime enemies, aimed at overthrowing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The government has accused Eritrea of financially backing members of the alliance, allegations Asmara has denied.

Renewed war in Tigray could further destabilise the Horn of Africa, a region already unsettled by deteriorating Ethiopia-Eritrea ties, Sudan's civil war, frictions over Red Sea access and spillover from Middle East conflicts.

"Immediate de-escalation is needed," the EU said in a statement, noting military actions by both sides. "Differences can only be resolved through dialogue and not military action."