Ethiopian Airlines has cancelled flights to the Tigray region following clashes between regional and national forces, sparking concerns of renewed conflict.
The airline confirmed that all flights to Tigray have been cancelled, leaving residents struggling to access cash as banks run dry.
The conflict in Tigray, which killed over half a million people and displaced millions, officially ended with a peace pact in November 2022, but tensions remain over disputed territories and disarmament.
Residents in Mekelle, Tigray’s capital, reported long queues at banks and empty ATMs, with one resident saying, “I went to three Commercial Bank of Ethiopia branches to withdraw some money but I was told they had no cash.” The situation is reminiscent of the devastating two-year war between Ethiopia’s national army and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
