Tigray resumes daily life amid fears of wider war

Tigray resumes daily life amid fears of wider war

The full report

Mekelle, the capital of Tigray in northern Ethiopia, is slowly returning to normalcy as shops and banks reopen. However, residents remain anxious about the future due to ongoing instability and economic hardship. The region is still recovering from the 2020–2022 war between federal forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).

The return of fighting has brought new uncertainty over jobs, education, security, and the future for residents. Businesses and financial services are gradually reopening, but many households are struggling to afford necessities. Delayed salaries have left public employees struggling to cover food, rent, and school costs.

The funding crisis has affected the wider public sector, with Tigray’s interim administration unable to cover monthly salaries for about 137,000 civil servants. The regional finance bureau reported an 8.5-billion-birr funding shortfall affecting salary payments and development projects.

For students in Tigray, renewed fighting has revived fears of another interruption to their education. Many already lost valuable study time during the previous war and worry about falling further behind. Some university students have left Tigray for Addis Ababa to seek transfers to other public universities.