ETHIOPIA Access Snapshot - Tigray Region As of 28 February 2021

Humanitarian partners access to Tigray improved According to the regional Emergency Coordination Centre (ECC) N in February, with a number of requests for the ERITREA in Mekelle, relief food actors were unable to operate in nine ERITREA Badime woredas, seven of which in Central zone, i.e. Adet, Keyhe Tekli, deployment of international aid workers cleared Ethiopia Zala 1000 Km at the Federal level and progress in mobilizing Ambesa Ahsea, Chila, Egela, Hahayle, and Aheferom (Central Zone), in Adi Hageray Gerhu Sernay Dawuhan addition to Neqsege (Southern) and Asgede (North-Western). emergency supplied into the region. Adi Nebried Rama Fatsi Partners reported limited logistic capacity (unavailability of Despite these advancements, the humanitarian and Sheraro Adigrat Yeha Bzet Humera Chila Inticho trucks, private operators refusing to work due to insecurity, access situation within Tigray remains highly restricted as a result Adabay Eastern SUDAN Adwa of continued insecurity, and limited assistance reaching people in North Western Akxum Feresmay Edaga limited storage capacity in rural areas), while the lack of adminis- Nebelat Hamus May Wukro Edaga Arbi tration at local level hampered targeting/monitoring of distribu- need, particularly in rural areas. Kadra Shire Frewoyni Baeker Western Central tions. This notwithstanding, important progress was achieved in Endabaguna Mayknetal Hawzen By early February, mobile communications were re-established in Zana Semema terms of dispatching food through the region. Atsibi Wukro main towns, banking services resumed in Adigrat and Shire (in Adi Remets Edaga May Gaba Selus Hayka The presence of EDF along the northern corridor bordering addition to Mekelle and Alamata). The heavy toll of the conflict on Mesahil Eritrea, from Sheraro (North-Western) to Adigrat (Eastern), the region’s health infrastructure continued to constraint access to May Abi Hagere Dansha Tsebri Adi Selam reportedly impacted access to rural areas in Adi Hageray and essential healthcare, inter alia, childhood routine immunizations, Mekele Seyemti Adyabo woredas (North-Western), Chila, Rama, Ahsea maternal health care, COVID-19, treatment of people affected by the Ketema Nigus and Egela woredas (Central), and Erob, Saesie, and Atsibi conflict. AMHARA Gijet South Eastern woredas (Eastern). Three months after the start of the conflict, Mearay Adi Gudom partners remained unable to reach the refugee camps of Shimel- In February, 84 international aid workers (62 UN and 22 INGO) have (1) Samre AFAR been cleared to deploy in Tigray , and over 100 national aid workers 4.5 milion Accessible areas Hiwane ba and Hitas (North-Western), where six aid workers were killed People in need of moved from other parts of Ethiopia. Partners’ cargo requests Partially Accessible areas Emba in November. Some, 61,415 Ethiopian refugees have reached food aid Alaje through the Logistic Cluster (WFP) were cleared by the National Hard to reach areas Sudan, as of 19 February (UNHCR). Disaster Risk Management Commission (NDRMC) and by the (2) Maychew 61,500 Accessible roads Mokoni ASF were reportedly present through Western Tigray, Mae-Tse- Agency for Refugees and Returnees Administration (ARRA). New Ethiopian Refugees bri woreda (North-Western) and Raya Alamata, Zata, and Ofla in Sudan Partially accessible roads Southern On 9-12 February, the inter-religious Council of Ethiopia travelled to Chercher woredas (South), including Alamata town. Partners reported since November 2020 Inaccessible roads Tigray. Protests by youth erupted in Mekelle town, prompting the Korem being unable to move from North-Western to Western zones, with intervention of security forces. In successive days, protests spread (1) : Regional Tigray Government Displacement trends Alamata access only possible through Amhara region. Partners remained to Wukro, Adigrat, Axum, Shire and Abiyi-Adi, including commercial (2) : UNHCR operational in Western Tigray, however, bureaucratic constraints strikes/halt of public transport. Unverified reports indicate that an People in need People in need People in need persisted for international staff at Federal level. Reports from Zone People in need undetermined number of people were killed/injured. in accessible areas in partially accessible in hard to reach/food in hard to reach partners indicated that Tigrayan IDPs in Western Tigray and Mae-Tsebri struggled to access assistance. Armed confrontations between Ethiopia National Defense Forces areas provided areas areas (ENDF) and Tigray Special Forces (TSF) and associated militias Central 130,989 612,365 132,684 329,154 The ability of aid partners to provide services to the population continued in February, including heavy artillery, ambushes, and has been curtailed by the large-scale looting of aid facilities and Eastern 885,542 582,757 90,354 24,405 hit-and-run attacks. The presence of Eritrea Defense Forces (EDF) supplies. Partners’ offices in Axum (Central), Mae-Tsebri and Amhara Special Forces (ASF) in Tigray - flagged by the popula- North Western 72,766 538,518 77,354 61,187 (North-Western), and Freweiny (East) were vandalized. In Axum, two schools and one health centre of a faith—based organization tion since the beginning of the conflict - was acknowledged by South Eastern - 364,003 49,745 - United Nations senior officials and Ethiopia’s Human Rights were looted. In North-Western, offices in Shire and Mae-Tsebri, Commission (EHRC) . These hostilities continued to impact humani- Southern 51,214 387,229 58,680 126,991 and several buildings, schools, and one health centre in the tarian access to large areas in the region. Western - 360,170 - 7,706 refugee camps were looted. At the time of writing, due to limited access, some partners have not yet been able to determine the Humanitarian operations remained concentrated along the main Mekelle 379,3946 - - - road Alamata – Mekelle – Adigrat – Shire, and adjacent woredas. extent of the looting. 723,457 2,845,042 549,443 While some clashes were reported close to this axis, these did not Total 408,817 significantly affect partners and commercial/private movements. (1) Accessible: The population has optimal access to humanitarian assistance and services. The operational environment to relief operations - from a security perspective - is enabling. Most access constraints due to insecurity were reported in Central (2) Partially accessible: The population is able to access limited humanitarian assistance and services. Insecurity continues affecting the safety and security of the population and aid workers, impending relief operations on an intermittent basis. zone (Edaga Arbi, Emba Sieneti, Endefelasi, Kola Temben, Tanqua (3) Hard-to-reach/food provided: Operations in these areas remain off-limits to humanitarian partners due to insecurity. This notwithstanding, food aid has been reportedly dispatched by government Melashi, and Abergele woredas), South-Eastern (Samre, Saharti, and (4) Hard-to-reach: The population’ access to humanitarian assistance and services is highly restricted. The security situation is extremely volatile, compromising the safety and security of the population Wajirat woredas), and Southern (Zata, Ofla, and Bora woredas). and aid workers, impending relief operations on a permanent basis. The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations. Creation date: 28 February 2021 Sources: OCHA, Tigray Statistical Agency, humanitarian partners Feedback: [email protected] http://www.humanitarianresponse.info/operations/ethiopia www.reliefweb.int