[TLM Editorial Viewpoint]
What makes this situation even more heartbreaking is how famine can deeply impact Tigray’s overall morale, shaping how its people see themselves and their confidence. When famine hits, those who have lived through it often carry a heavy weight of fear and despair. It is painfully hard for them to forget the trauma and hardships, and forgiving can feel even more out of reach.
The people of Tigray have endured incredible struggles, including hunger caused by man-made famine and displacement. They also find it difficult to plan or look ahead with hope because they worry that their efforts might be undone by famine, taking away their cattle, land, homes, or even their children.
Members of the media must openly expose and criticise the gap between poverty and wealth. Issues such as corruption, the lavish lifestyle of the TPLF party members, widespread poverty, human rights abuses, and the exposure of famines and hunger must be discussed publicly. The public needs to be informed, and its conscience must be awakened. Addressing the TPLF impunity through a solid legal framework is essential for ensuring justice, accountability, and civil liberty. It is important to resolve conflicts and TPLF-caused hunger, stemming from poor policies designed deliberately to spread fear and insecurity.
Nevertheless, the elderly and children in IDP sites will constantly bear the heavy burden of that tragic loss in their hearts. The pain of famine will remain with them for many years, leaving deep scars that are hard to heal. Famine victims remain traumatised, haunted, and scarred by memories of the starvation.
Regrettably, the TPLF has been using hunger deliberately as a weapon to serve its political agendas, causing incredible suffering and deaths. Notable instances include the siege in 2021-2022 and the famine of 1984-1985. When food aid, which is meant to support those in need, was sold and used for political purposes, it showed a heartbreaking level of cruelty and malice, amounting to crimes against humanity.
During the difficult years of 2020-2022, the TPLF took humanitarian aid meant for those suffering from hunger, which led to the tragic loss of thousands of lives due to famine, similar to what happened in 1984-1985. Once more, the TPLF diverted food supplies and pressured displaced families in Hitsats and other areas of Northwest Tigray to forcefully give up their portion of their food aid funds to the TPLF, resulting in over 300 people losing their lives because of hunger. The TPLF-led Interim Administration has hidden the hunger crisis in Hitsats and other Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Northwest Tigray.
The terrible scenes of artificial starvation in Hitsats and other IDP camps in Northwest Tigray are a national shame and show how the TPLF-led administration is responsible for harming people deliberately and using them as pawns in its political games. The repeated famines caused by the TPLF in Tigray are a tragic part of its history. For Tigray to move forward with economic growth and genuine democracy, the people of Tigray need to stand together and remove the TPLF from power to end this man-made starvation.
Recent reports from the TikTok activists have shed light on the devastating famine affecting Hitsats and nearby areas. They have criticised the TPLF for its blameworthy actions, especially as people continue to lose their lives each day under its watch, sadly.
On the other hand, the TPLF has tried to shift responsibility onto the federal government while also misusing food aid and taking money from those in need to fund its military efforts — actions that only worsen the hunger crisis.
The TikTok activists are passionately using social media to bring people together and coordinate food aid efforts. They are dedicated to distributing vital food supplies in Hitsats and other IDP camps, which is truly saving lives. Their outstanding work has sparked a sense of solidarity, uniting people from all social classes to help in many ways.
As the movement continues to grow, it serves as a powerful reminder of how much impact we can have when we come together during challenging times. The TikTok activists and grassroots initiatives are also capturing public interest, inspiring collaboration, and gaining even more support along the way.
What lessons can political elites draw from the TikTok activists who have outmanoeuvred and rendered the TPLF ineffective by revealing its crimes against humanity and its silent acts of genocide against the vulnerable people? The TikTok activists have effectively reshaped the narrative surrounding the hunger crisis, highlighting the importance of youth engagement in humanitarian efforts and political participation in reaching out to those in need. It is now increasingly evident that new forms of activism are emerging, driven by the desire for justice, accountability, and change in Tigray. The young generation of the TikTok activists has demonstrated their responsibilities and obligations to their people.
As matters of priority, President Tadesse Werede’s administration should work to manage hunger and the return of IDPs to their homes. Properly managing food security and hunger prevention efforts is essential for upholding the democratic values. At this delicate stage, everyone must put aside differences and unite to find peaceful solutions. Collaborating now can significantly contribute to unity, peace, and stability in Tigray.
Evidently, the TPLF has failed to fulfil its responsibilities and accountability or uphold the rule of law and the democratic rights of the Tigrayan people over the past 50 years. It is a dysfunctional party and unable to lead Tigray effectively. Let us stand with the young generations, who have shown incredible resilience and dedication to their people, saving many lives along the way.
To safeguard the future of the Tigrayan people, it is crucial to address the TPLF’s corruption, bad governance, human rights abuses, and acts of genocide, including the food aid theft and the use of starvation as a political weapon. Let us work toward a future where peace, justice, accountability, freedom, and civil liberty can finally take root in Tigray.