Clashes between government troops and Tigrayan forces erupt in Ethiopia

‘Deteriorating’ situation causes suspension of flights, security and diplomatic sources say.

Clashes between Ethiopian federal government troops and Tigrayan forces have erupted in the country’s northern Tigray, a region still devastated and impoverished from a full-blown war and more recent huge cuts in international aid.

The fighting has triggered the suspension of flights, security and diplomatic sources told the AFP news agency on Thursday.

Hostilities broke out in recent days in Tsemlet, western Tigray, an area claimed by forces from the neighbouring Amhara region, the sources told AFP. “The situation appears to be deteriorating,” the security source said on condition of anonymity.

The Tigray war, which started in 2020, killed thousands of people and displaced millions more before the conflict ended in 2022.

Al Jazeera reported in recent days from Hitsats in Tigray, a destitute village that has been sustained mostly by humanitarian organisations, including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) – once Ethiopia’s largest source of humanitarian aid.

But that changed abruptly a year ago when US President Donald Trump took office and promptly demolished the agency’s work and cut funding across the globe.

Across Tigray province, humanitarian organisations, including the World Food Programme (WFP), say that up to 80 percent of the population needs emergency support. But the USAID cuts mean there is less humanitarian funding available overall, and what remains is often directed towards hotspots and global conflict zones that are considered worse emergencies.

In Ethiopia, which used to be the largest recipient of USAID funds in sub-Saharan Africa before Trump’s cuts, the funding shortfalls have created critical gaps and put more pressure on other organisations.

In Tigray, “donor funding cuts have placed additional strain on an already fragile public health system,” Joshua Eckley, head of mission at Doctors without Borders for Ethiopia, told Al Jazeera on January 22, before the eruption of clashes.

“As aid actors scale back or suspend activities in the region due to funding constraints, the most vulnerable are experiencing reduced access to medical care, water and sanitation services … while overall humanitarian needs continue to exceed the collective capacity.”

Months after suspending USAID in Ethiopia, the US government announced the resumption of some of its support to the country, but many say little has come to regions like Tigray, whose economy, as well as population, remains devastated after years of conflict.