Residents across Ethiopia’s Tigray region are stocking up on food, withdrawing cash and searching for essential supplies as renewed fighting raises fears of a return to the devastating 2020–2022 conflict.
People in Mekelle, the regional capital, and Adigrat near the Eritrean border described growing anxiety over possible shortages of food, medicine, fuel and cash.
Residents also fear that banks, telecommunications services and other basic infrastructure could again be disrupted if the fighting continues. Similar restrictions during the previous war left many communities isolated.
Residents Rush to Buy Essentials
In Mekelle, residents have been buying large quantities of food and household necessities.
Samuel Gebreslassie, a 37-year-old spice-shop worker, said panic was spreading through the community as people prepared for possible supply disruptions.
“We are buying almost everything we think could become necessary,” one Mekelle resident told Reuters, describing concerns that the region could face conditions similar to the previous siege.
In Adigrat, residents reported emptying shops and worsening shortages. Essential medicines were also described as scarce and extremely expensive.
Fuel and Food Prices Rise
The renewed fighting has also put pressure on household budgets.
Residents reported that fuel in Mekelle rose from about 400 birr per litre to 650 birr after the latest escalation.
Prices of basic commodities, including flour and cooking oil, have also increased as residents rush to secure supplies.
Many residents are also withdrawing cash from banks and ATMs because of fears that financial services could be disrupted.
Fighting Raises Fears of Another Siege
The latest escalation follows the seizure of airports in Mekelle, Axum and Shire by Tigrayan forces. Ethiopian Airlines subsequently suspended flights to the three cities, citing the security situation.
Fighting has also spread into parts of neighbouring Afar and Amhara regions.
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front, or TPLF, has described the confrontation as a defensive war, while Ethiopia’s federal government has accused the Tigrayan forces of launching a major offensive. The two sides have given conflicting accounts of how the latest fighting began.
Memories of the 2020–2022 War
The current panic is closely linked to memories of the previous Tigray war, which caused widespread destruction and a major humanitarian crisis.
Residents fear that renewed fighting could once again restrict access to food, medicine, communications and financial services.
The United Nations and European Union have called for restraint and a return to the African Union-backed peace process that helped end the previous conflict.
As fighting continues, residents say their immediate concern is survival and access to basic necessities.
