Clashes between government troops and Tigrayan forces erupt in Ethiopia

‘Deteriorating’ situation causes suspension of flights, security and diplomatic sources say.Published On 29 Jan 2026Clashes between Ethiopian federal government troops and Tigrayan forces have erupted in the country’s northern Tigray, a region still devastated and impoverished from a full-blown war and more recent huge cuts in international aid.The fighting has triggered the suspension of flights, security and diplomatic sources told the AFP news agency on Thursday.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4‘Waiting to die’: Hunger, devastation in Tigray a year after US aid cutslist 2 of 4Tigray fighters enter Ethiopia’s Afar region, stoking fears of new conflictlist 3 of 4Is war between Ethiopia & Eritrea inevitable?: Mehdi Hasan & Getachew Redalist 4 of 4Trump strips legal protections from Ethiopian refugees in latest crackdownend of listHostilities broke out in recent days in Tsemlet, western Tigray, an area claimed by forces from the neighbouring Amhara Region, the sources told AFP. “The situation appears to be deteriorating,” the security source said on condition of anonymity.The Tigray War, which started in 2020, killed thousands of people and displaced millions more before the conflict ended in 2022.Al Jazeera reported in recent days from Hitsats in Tigray, a destitute village that has been sustained mostly by humanitarian organisations, including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) – once Ethiopia’s largest source of humanitarian aid.But that changed abruptly a year ago when US President Donald Trump took office and promptly demolished the agency’s work and cut funding across the globe.Across Tigray province, humanitarian organisations, including the World Food Programme (WFP), say that up to 80 percent of the population needs emergency support. But the USAID cuts mean there is less humanitarian funding available overall, and what remains is often directed towards hotspots and global conflict zones that are considered worse emergencies.