Tigray’s ongoing economic, political, and humanitarian crises, which have persisted since the outbreak of the genocidal war in 2020, highlight the Ethiopian government’s deliberate destruction and systemic neglect of Tigray. The region’s dire financial situation underscores its people’s broader struggle for justice, equity, and survival. The refusal to provide adequate resources is symptomatic of the Ethiopian government’s broader strategy of economic warfare, punitive policies, and continued efforts to strangle Tigray, even in the post-active genocidal war period. In this article, I outline the financial and human destruction during the genocidal war and post-Pretoria Agreement, describing how the physical destruction of the region’s infrastructure and economic potential is compounded by the Ethiopian government’s fiscal and budgetary neglect of the region. The article concludes with a call to the international community.
Genocidal War in Tigray
The active genocidal war on Tigray (2020-2022) by the Ethiopian government and its allies was characterized by unprecedented atrocities, destruction, and human suffering. The Ethiopian government, alongside its allies, waged a genocidal campaign targeting Tigrayans through massacres, widespread weaponized sexual violence, weaponized starvation, and systematic destruction of cultural heritage and infrastructure. Schools, hospitals, factories, and marketplaces were deliberately destroyed and bombed, crippling the region’s ability to sustain itself. Read more