Starvation as a Weapon of War: Lessons from Ethiopia's Tigray Conflict

 Stimson published on 24 February 2025 a study titled "Preventing Starvation Crimes: Lessons Learned from Tigray" by Shane Goetz.

The international community failed to prevent mass starvation during Ethiopia's civil war centered in Tigray Region in spite of a UN Security Council resolution designed to avoid this situation.  The study concludes that the resolution lacks the tools to generate preventative action and early response to conflict-induced hunger crises or to hold parties accountable for the use of starvation as a method of warfare.

Flooding in Sudan and Possible Mitigation by Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

 Agence France Presse published on 22 August 2022 an article titled "After 'Doomsday' Floods, Sudanese Fear Worse to Come."

Heavy rains in Sudan's White Nile basin are causing severe flooding; so far this year, 146,000 Sudanese have been negatively impacted along the White Nile and the Nile River.  

Comment:  The Blue Nile, which begins in Ethiopia, joins the White Nile at Khartoum, thus creating the Nile River.  Much of the flooding has been downstream from Khartoum.  This is a situation where the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile may have mitigated the flooding this year in Sudan while Ethiopia was filling the reservoir behind the dam.  Sudan and Ethiopia need to explore how they can coordinate efforts to minimize flooding along the Nile River.  

Most Hospitals and Clinics Not Functioning in Tigray Region

 Reuters published on 5 January 2022 an article titled "Blockade Killing Hospitalized Children in Ethiopia's War-torn Tigray, Doctors Say."

Doctors at the Ayder Referral Hospital in Tigray Region's capital of Mekelle say they are out of almost all supplies because of the blockade of the region by central government forces.  An estimated 80 to 90 percent of Tigray's hospitals and clinics are not functioning.    

Humanitarian Crisis Continues Unabated in Tigray Region

 UN News posted on 29 April 2021 a release titled "Ethiopia: 'Unpredictable Security' in Tigray, Hindering Aid Delivery."

Violence and conflict in Tigray Region have continued unabated since the outbreak of war last November.  More than one million people have been displaced in Tigray Region, and 4.5 million need food assistance.  

Role of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation in Somalia

The Humanitarian Policy Group published in February 2015 a study titled "Islamic Humanitarianism? The Evolving Role of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation in Somalia and Beyond" by Eva Svoboda, Steven A. Zyck, Daud Osman, and Abdirashid Hashi.  It focuses on humanitarian assistance provided to Somalia by the OIC.