Ethiopia faces an increasingly dire humanitarian crisis, with conditions in Tigray region particularly acute years after formal conflict in the region ended. Ethiopia is listed on the International Rescue Committee's Emergency Watchlist as one of the countries most likely to experience a worsening humanitarian crisis in 2026.
In Tigray, nearly 40 percent of the population is suffering from an extreme lack of food, according to humanitarian reporting. Across Ethiopia more broadly, more than 15 million people are in need of emergency food aid, according to the Famine Early Warning Systems Network's latest outlook, amid shrinking international humanitarian support.
Humanitarian aid access into Tigray remains severely restricted, despite the years since armed conflict in the region was formally concluded. Reporting attributes these access barriers to a combination of ongoing localized conflict, bureaucratic obstacles, and limited cooperation from the Ethiopian government. Humanitarian agencies report that less than half of those in need are currently receiving aid.
The displacement crisis compounds these challenges. Hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people from Tigray live in precarious conditions in formal and informal camps, according to humanitarian assessments, with severely limited access to food and other assistance.
Humanitarian funding for the response has undergone steep reductions precisely as needs remain greatest. A January 2026 report specifically examined the one-year anniversary of US aid cuts and their continued impact on hunger and deprivation in Tigray, documenting how reductions in international assistance have deepened hunger throughout the region.
For the people of Tigray, particularly displaced persons living in camps with minimal support systems, the years since conflict ended have brought not relief and recovery but a deepening crisis as external assistance shrinks and access barriers persist.
