Attachments
Highlights
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Since the start of the civil war in northern Ethiopia in November 2020, the conflict has impacted agricultural production and livelihoods in Tigray and neighbouring regions of Amhara and Afar (Figure 1 in the PDF).
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In affected regions, the majority of the population are farmers that rely on local agriculture for their food supply. Since the start of the conflict, fields have been abandoned, farmers have been prevented from ploughing or harvesting, seeds for planting have been stolen, farm equipment has been looted, and livestock has been killed. Crops that were able to be sown have often been pillaged and burned before they were able to be harvested.
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From September to the end of 2021, the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Tigray doubled to 4.2 million due to the ongoing conflict. By April 2022, the total number of IDPs decreased back to 2.1 million across Tigray, Amhara, and Afar, but the ability to carry out agricultural activities remains constrained among those left in rural areas.
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Since the onset of conflict, cereal yields have been negatively affected in parts of the major producing Tigray and Amhara regions as well as in the minor producing Afar region for the 2020 Meher season, 2020 Belg season, 2021 Meher season, and 2022 Belg season with significant implications for food security in affected regions.
Overview
In August 2020, parliamentary elections in Ethiopia were delayed in response to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, and the prime minister’s term was extended. In response, Tigray region defied the central government by holding its own regional elections. Then in November, Ethiopia’s prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, ordered a military assault against Tigray in response to an alleged attack on federal army camps, marking the start of the civil war that continues today. In conflict-affected areas of Tigray, Amhara, and Afar regions (Figure 1), the outcomes of the last three agricultural seasons as well as the current ongoing 2022 Meher season have been impacted by the direct and indirect impacts of the ongoing conflict, including widespread displacement and field abandonment, direct attacks on the agricultural and livestock sectors, loss and decreased affordability of agricultural inputs, and limited market supply and access.
In Tigray region, three-quarters of the population are farmers that grow on less than a hectare of land and depend on subsistence agriculture for their basic food and income needs. As conflict has constrained agricultural production, households now face extreme food insecurity, partially due to missed harvests and crop destruction. Additionally, households are often unable to afford food commodities in markets due to the economic impacts of domestic conflict, and market supply and access is constrained due to infrastructure damage and insecurity. This leaves households reliant on humanitarian aid; however, movement restrictions, roadblocks, blockages, and theft make it difficult to deliver the necessary aid to households in need. In conflict-affected areas of northern Ethiopia, the 2022 Meher seasonal outcomes are likely to be constrained by persistent conflict and related socioeconomic challenges, and food insecurity and dependence on humanitarian aid are likely to increase as a result.