Places in News: Tigray Region

Context: 

Nearly 400 Ethiopians in the Tigray Region have died of starvation recently.

Dual Crisis in Ethiopia: Drought and Conflict

• Millions of people in Ethiopia’s Tigray and Amhara regions are gripped by drought. 
• They need humanitarian food aid due to drought, conflict and a tanking economy. 
• They are still reeling from a devastating civil war that officially ended 14 months ago.

About Tigray Region 

• Tigray, Renowned for its mountainous landscapes, is in northern Ethiopia.
• It has historically used its terrain to defend against invaders, including the Greeks, Turks, and Italians. 
• Ethnicity: Tigrayan, Irob, and Kunama peoples.
• Mekelle serves as both the capital and the largest city of Tigray. 
• Bordering Area: Tigray shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Sudan to the west, the Amhara Region to the south, and the Afar Region to the east and southeast.

Tigray Conflict

• Tigray, home to 5.5 million people, was the centre of a devastating two-year civil war that killed hundreds of thousands and split into neighbouring regions.
• In November 2022, Ethiopia’s federal government and the rebellious authorities of Tigray agreed to a ceasefire.

Prelims Facts

• Horn of Africa: SEED ( Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti) countries.
  • Bounded by the Red Sea & Gulf of Aden.
• The largest lake in Ethiopia is Lake Tana, which is the source of the Blue Nile river.
• Tigray and Amhara regions in Ethiopia.
• HQs of the African Union is in Addis Ababa.

News Source: The New Indian Express