Addressing pilgrims at the conclusion of the General Audience, Pope Leo XIV expressed deep concern over the fresh outbreak of violence in Ethiopia’s Tigray, Afar, and Amhara regions. Calling on all involved parties to halt hostilities, the Pope urged a commitment to peaceful negotiations, warning that armed conflict only deepens destruction, loss of life, and lingering resentment. He also called on the international community to urgently step in and provide humanitarian aid to support the affected populations.
The security situation across northern Ethiopia has deteriorated significantly following renewed clashes involving the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Tigray Defence Forces (TDF) against Ethiopian military forces. Fighting has intensified in critical areas, including along the Tekeze River, the Wolkayt district, and along the borders with Afar and Amhara.
Casualties continue to mount, though independent verification remains difficult. While Ethiopian military sources report heavy fighter casualties, medical aid organization Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) confirmed that hundreds of wounded individuals have flooded into hospitals across Korem, Alamata, Suhul, and Shire within a span of just a few days.
The escalating conflict has severely disrupted humanitarian relief operations across the region. Severed road networks, alongside telecommunication and internet blackouts in northern Tigray, have left aid organizations unable to coordinate essential relief efforts.
Diplomatic tensions are also rising, with the Ethiopian government alleging that neighboring Eritrea is supporting regional opposition forces—a charge Eritrean officials firmly deny. In response to the crisis, the European Union warned of a rapidly worsening military and political landscape, announcing immediate diplomatic and humanitarian steps to prevent a broader regional escalation.