The International Response to the Situation in Tigray: A Concerted Effort by Both the Humanitarian and Human Rights Communities

Abstract

This essay is based on detailed observations of the situation in Tigray following the 2019 visit to Ethiopia by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, the UN Special Rapporteur and the Assistant Secretary for Peacebuilding. Ever since the crisis in Tigray came to the attention of the international community, the humanitarian situation there was assessed through a human rights framework as well as the guidance provided by international humanitarian law. The response therefore incorporates a powerful dynamic between the humanitarian community and the human rights community, which worked together in a concerted effort to raise visibility to the situation and built on each other’s work.