War in Tigray

The war in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region has been marked by atrocities and starvation. Fighting erupted in November 2020, when a simmering feud between prime minister Abiy Ahmed and Tigrayan leaders, members of a small ethnic minority who had dominated Ethiopia for much of the three previous decades, exploded into violence. Since then, fighting has been largely hidden from view, obscured by communications blackouts, and overshadowed by international outrage over an escalating humanitarian crisis. But during a pivotal week, I went behind the front lines on assignment for The New York Times and witnessed a cascade of Tigrayan victories that culminated in their retaking the region’s capital and altered the course of the war.

Abiy’s forces and his Eritrean allies have been accused of widespread massacres, sexual assault, and ethnic cleansing. The UN and aid organizations said that while 5 million people in Tigray urgently need help, Ethiopian officials are using harassment and obstruction to restrict the flow of aid into the region. Trucks filled with food, medicine, and fuel are stranded in a neighboring region, denied permission to move. Since retreating from Tigray in June, Ethiopia’s government has closed Tigray’s banks, blocked fuel supplies, and shut down phone lines and Internet access, creating a humanitarian blockade. Ethiopia recently ordered the expulsion of 7 senior UN officials overseeing aid operations to Tigray, where 23 humanitarians have been killed during the war. If carried out, the order would be the biggest expulsion of senior UN humanitarian officials from any country, adding to previous expulsions of aid workers from Doctors Without Borders and the Norwegian Refugee Council. Abiy, who won the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize, has reacted to mounting international pressure with anger and defiance.

These images were taken during a week of fast-moving breaking news as Tigrayan forces gained the upper hand in a devastating war that seems far from over.