Researchers have stated that as many as half a million people have died from war and starvation in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia since the outbreak of war between the pro-independence forces of Tigray and the Ethiopian Army, who have been accused of carrying out a 'scorched Earth' policy in the Tigray region.
The researchers led by Jan Nyssen of Ghent University in Belgium now estimate that 50 – 100,000 people have directly died from warfare, 150 – 200,000 have died from hunger, while another 100,000 have died from lack of access to healthcare since the outbreak of full hostilities in November 2020.
It is now feared that as Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine continues the war in Tigray and other conflicts, such as the war in Yemen, and their resulting humanitarian crises, will be overlooked by international observers and international aid agencies.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaking to journalists about the conflict said:
"We are seeing clear evidence of this war draining resources and attention from other trouble spots in desperate need."
Thus far, no vote on condemning the Ethiopian state's actions at the United Nations has been taken, and no sanctions have been imposed on the Ethiopian state economically or militarily. This is in stark contrast to the huge sanctions immediately put on Russia following their illegal invasion of Ukraine.
Perhaps even more worrying for many nations in the Middle East and Africa is that Ukraine and Russia are the two largest producers of wheat in the world, a staple for hundreds of millions of people. It is said the Russian invasion is already causing shortages and a large uptick in the price of grains. It has been suggested by some academics that the Arab uprising of the early 2010s, and the brutal conflicts that followed, were in part due to a rise in wheat prices, and it is feared that such economic problems could once again result in social and military upheaval.
Food and Agriculture Organization head, Qu Dongyu, outlined these fears in a statement, saying:
"The likely disruptions to agricultural activities of these two major exporters of staple commodities could seriously escalate food insecurity globally. Wheat is a staple food for over 35 per cent of the world's population, and the current conflict could result in a sudden and steep reduction in wheat exports from both Russia and Ukraine."
Médecins du Monde, a humanitarian agency working in Burkina Faso, has already said it is cutting aid to the beleaguered nation by 70% as it seeks to deal with the humanitarian crisis in Europe.
[Based on reporting by: The Globe and Mail]
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