In Tigray, Food Has Become a Weapon of War

In the northern Ethiopian region of Tigray, more than 350,000 people are facing starvation.

It is not just that people are starving; it is that many are being starved. Farmers, aid workers and local officials confirmed to The Associated Press that food has become a weapon of war.

The AP found Ethiopian and Eritrean soldiers in the war-torn area blocking food aid and even stealing it. Reporters saw Ethiopian military officials turn away food and medical aid as fighting continued in the town of Hawzen.

The soldiers are also accused of preventing farmers from harvesting and stealing seeds for planting. Tigray people say soldiers have killed farm animals and stolen equipment.

More than two million of Tigray's six million people have already fled, unable to harvest their crops. Those who stayed often cannot plant new crops because they fear for their lives.

The war in Tigray started in early November, shortly before the harvest season. On one side of the war are troops loyal to the expelled leaders of Tigray. On the other are Ethiopian government troops, and allied¹ troops from neighboring Eritrea. Militias² from Ethiopia's Amhara ethnic³ group who see themselves as rivals to the Tigrayan militias are also involved. Trapped in the middle are civilians⁴.

The war has produced mass killings⁵, gang rapes⁶ and the widespread expulsion of civilians from their homes. The United States has declared the events in western Tigray an "ethnic cleansing⁷."

Ethiopia's government strongly disputes that starvation is being used as a weapon. Mitiku Kassa is an official with the National Disaster Risk Management Commission. He claimed Wednesday that, "We don't have any food shortage."

But that is not what the AP found in Tigray.

Teklemariam Gebremichael said he and his neighbors were no longer allowed to farm. He said Eritrean soldiers came to him while he was looking after his cows and harvesting crops. They shot both him and his cows.

He survived, but the animals did not. With food in limited supply, his wound is healing slowly.

The "world has to take immediate⁸ action to help Tigray, because we can't live on our own land anymore," he said.

Witnesses say soldiers have taken other measures to destroy food. An aid group official said Eritrean soldiers mix grain with sand and soil, making it impossible to eat. Farmers said soldiers have also taken their farming equipment.

"All our farm tools, including plows⁹, were looted and taken away on trucks," said Birhanu Tsegay, a 24-year-old farmer. "They left nothing there."

Sometimes food aid is still delivered, but there is never enough. Early in May, a large crowd came to Agula to receive 15 kilograms of wheat, half a kilogram of peas and some cooking oil — per person. It was supposed to last a month. The food was only for the most vulnerable.

Sixty-year-old Letebrhan Belay walked for four hours to get there.

She said she has a family of 10 but received food for just five. She still said she was doing better than others.

"There will be people dying of hunger," she said.

Words in This Story

rival— n. a person or thing that tries to defeat or be more successful than another

loot – v. to steal things from (a place, such as a store or house) during a war or after destruction has been caused by fire, rioting, etc.

vulnerable – adj. easily hurt or harmed physically, mentally, or emotionally

1 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

2 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

3 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

4 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

5 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

6 rapes   

n.芸苔( rape的名词复数 )；强奸罪；强奸案；肆意损坏v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的第三人称单数 )；强奸

参考例句：

• The man who had committed several rapes was arrested. 那个犯了多起强奸案的男人被抓起来了。 来自辞典例句
• The incidence of reported rapes rose 0.8 percent. 美国联邦调查局还发布了两份特别报告。 来自互联网

7 cleansing   

n. 净化(垃圾) adj. 清洁用的 动词cleanse的现在分词

参考例句：

• medicated cleansing pads for sensitive skin 敏感皮肤药物清洗棉
• Soap is not the only cleansing agent. 肥皂并不是唯一的清洁剂。

8 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

9 plows   

n.犁( plow的名词复数 )；犁型铲雪机v.耕( plow的第三人称单数 )；犁耕；费力穿过

参考例句：

• Alex and Tony were turning awkward hands to plows and hoe handles. 亚历克斯和托尼在犁耙等农活方面都几乎变成新手了。
• Plows are still pulled by oxen in some countries. 在一些国家犁头仍由牛拖拉。