Clashes between Tigrayan forces allied with local collaborators and federal troops erupted on Wednesday, raising concerns of a full‑scale civil war and sparking panic buying across the area.
The two‑year conflict that concluded in 2022 left Tigray completely isolated from external trade and aid channels.
Severe shortages of cash, food, and medical supplies have pushed hundreds of thousands into famine‑like conditions.
This campaign stands among the deadliest of the current century, with estimates placing the death toll around 600 000 people as the fighting pushes the region to the edge of starvation.
On Sunday, the TPLF— the dominant group in Tigray—announced a coalition with six additional armed factions intended to topple the federal authority.
Wednesday saw the TPLF seize control of three federal airports from the police forces.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that TPLF combatants have begun launching strikes in the neighbouring regions of Afar and Amhara.
In response to the airport captures, Ethiopian Airlines discontinued all flights destined for Tigray.
Additional reporting by Peter Mwai, BBC Verify