Professor Jan Nyssen , who has worked in Tigray for many years, telephoned several friends in Tigray, from all standards of living this week. The situation they described is extremely difficult, but, as ever, they are making the best of their circumstances. This is a brief summary of what they said.

  • After an earlier movement of panic, many inhabitants of Tigray are now returning the money they had withdrawn from banks. They feel more confident that there will be no war.
  • TPLF celebrated its 50th anniversary, however without foreign guests – most common attitude of Tigrayans is that they are fed up with the standoff between the two TPLF fractions.
  • Most households in Mekelle get water once in a month, if not once in three months. Inflation is huge. Immense unemployment. These are the main worries of the people.
  • IDP camps are still there, especially with people from Western Tigray. Some of the IDPs have returned home (Alamata, Tselemti, Wolkait uplands), even if their homes are still occupied by the Amhara region.
  • All trade needs to take long routes through the Afar region.
  • In the Amhara region, largely controlled by the “Fano” groups, there are numerous checkpoints. Every “Fano” group has its territory and levies taxes. Grain trade is heavily taxed. Charcoal is taxed less by the ‘Fano’ control points and may even be transported to Tigray.
  • Charcoaling within Tigray is ongoing; some villages in the surroundings of Mekelle and other towns make their living of it.
  • People from Eritrea-occupied part of Irob cannot return home. They live in IDP camps in Mekelle, far from their own homes, which endangers also their survival as an ethnic group.