United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called on all parties on Tuesday to take urgent steps toward de-escalation amid the precarious situation in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. Recent fighting between the Ethiopian army and regional forces has highlighted the risk of a deepening human rights and humanitarian crisis in northern Ethiopia.
“The situation remains highly volatile, and we fear it will further deteriorate, worsening the region’s already precarious human rights and humanitarian situation,” Türk said in a statement.
“There must be concerted and sustained efforts by all parties, with the help of the international community, to de-escalate tensions before it is too late. Political dialogue and confidence-building measures are urgently needed - not renewed resort to armed violence.”
Clashes between the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) and the regional Tigray Clashes between the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) and the Tigray Security Forces (TSF) intensified on January 26, particularly in the Tselemti and Laelay Tselemti areas in the north-west of the region, close to the Amhara border. The TSF withdrew from the Tselemti area on February 1.
According to analysts, the TSF launched coordinated operations to regain control of the contested territories along the Tigray-Amhara border. These developments marked the most notable clash between the TSF and the ENDF since the war in northern Ethiopia ended in 2022.
Both sides used drones, artillery, and other powerful weapons. Several arrests and detentions by the ENDF and TSF have been reported during and after the clashes.
“Civilians are once again caught in between escalating tensions, with both TSF and ENDF reportedly carrying out arrests for perceived affiliation with the opposing side. This must stop,” Türk said.
Meanwhile, clashes between the TSF and the "Tigray Peace Forces (TPF)," a rival faction, continue unabated in the south and southeast of the Tigray region, near the Afar border.
Over a million civilians remain displaced from the 2020–2022 Tigray conflict, which left tens of thousands dead and, at its height, displaced more than two million people. The exact death toll remains unclear, with estimates ranging up to 600,000 from different sources.
“Both sides must step back from the brink and work to resolve their differences through political means. Alleged serious violations or abuses must be promptly and independently investigated, irrespective of the perpetrators,” Türk said.
The High Commissioner also voiced concern over the recent tensions between Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea, cautioning that they could worsen the already dire human rights and humanitarian situations in both countries and throughout the wider Horn of Africa region.
This latest escalation follows months of deteriorating relations between the federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). Both sides have accused each other of violating the Pretoria Agreement, which ended the two-year war in northern Ethiopia in November 2022.
People in northern Ethiopia are still recovering from that war, which erupted in November 2020 and lasted until October 2022. Although peace returned to the region in late 2022 with the signing of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA), which improved humanitarian access to Tigray and neighboring Afar and Amhara regions, needs remain high following two years of conflict.
Pervasive insecurity in the northeastern African country continues to hinder humanitarian access, particularly in parts of the Amhara and Oromia regions. In Ethiopia's Amhara region, clashes persist between government forces and the regional Fano militia, who fought alongside the government during the conflict in Tigray.
Fighting broke out in Amhara in April 2023 between the federal government and an armed group. The government had asked the militia to join the police or military following the Tigray peace agreement, which sparked the conflict.
Meanwhile, ongoing hostilities in western Oromia continue to displace civilians and hinder humanitarian operations. Tensions and violence in the Oromia region have resulted in an alarming number of casualties and an extremely worrisome situation overall.
Although Ethiopia's overall humanitarian and security situation has improved significantly over the past four years, millions of Ethiopians remain displaced by conflict, insecurity, and climate-related shocks, such as ongoing drought and flooding. Years of drought and conflict have left millions of Ethiopians without enough to eat, creating multiple drivers of instability in Ethiopia.
Humanitarian needs in Ethiopia are further complicated by conflicts in neighboring countries. As of February 2026, Ethiopia is one of the largest refugee-hosting countries in Africa, with over 1.125 million refugees and asylum seekers, mainly from South Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, and Sudan.
Since the outbreak of war in Sudan in April 2023, Ethiopia has received over 66,000 forcibly displaced people from Sudan. Meanwhile, rising tensions in South Sudan have forced tens of thousands to flee across the border since February 2025. Over 80,000 people have crossed from South Sudan into Ethiopia’s Gambella region, which already hosts over 400,000 refugees.