"Renewed" violence in northern Ethiopia has been making headlines, but did the conflict in Tigray ever really end? Over the past month, a resurgence of violence between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front has made headlines. While the Pretoria Agreement was once heralded as a deal that would bring lasting peace in Tigray, the recent flurry of military activity indicates it is unraveling. This round of conflict poses severe risks for a population that has struggled to recover from the 2020-2022 war. People across Tigray are suffering from humanitarian funding cuts and the federal government's obstruction of aid delivery. Survivors of conflict-related sexual violence still face challenges in acessing the health and psychosocial care they need. And heightened instability in Sudan and the Red Sea means another bout of war could be much more destructive and escalate into a complex regional crisis. In this episode, we hear from Meaza Gebremedhin, Executive Director of Harambee Collective, about the conditions Tigrayans have endured since the end of the previous war in 2022 and the toll that systematic sexual violence has had on women and girls. We also hear from Dr. Feroze Sidhwa, a trauma surgeon recently back from a medical mission in Mekelle, about his time there. Timed Takeaways: [05:51 ] Understanding past and present: The collapse of the Pretoria agreement and Ethiopia's current military escalation in Tigray [12:15] Widespread deprivation: aid cuts, the humanitarian blockade, and a deteriorating health system [19:50] *Content Warning* Sexual violence as a weapon of war [30:58] Averting catastrophe: what's needed to deliver aid and cease violence [47:51] Roundup: Displacement in the news this week Mentioned in This Episode: <a href="https://www.refugeesinternational.org/reports-briefs/womens-bodies-were-the-battleground-survivors-left-behind-amid-tigrays-uncertain-peace/"> "Women's Bodies Were the Battleground": Survivors Left Behind amid Tigray's Uncertain Peace</a> - Refugees International <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/why-renewed-fighting-ethiopias-tigray-risks-regional-war-2026-10-02/"> Why renewed fighting in Ethiopia's Tigray risks a regional war</a> - Reuters <a href="https://addisstandard.com/us-condemns-drone-strike-on-catholic-relief-convoy-in-tigray-urges-investigation-dialogue/"> US condemns drone strike on Catholic Relief convoy in Tigray, urges investigation, dialogue</a> - Addis Standard <a href="https://www.refugeesinternational.org/statements-and-news/refugees-international-statement-on-israeli-evacuation-order-in-gaza/"> Refugees International Statement on Israeli Evacuation Order in Gaza</a> - Refugees International <a href="https://www.refugeesinternational.org/perspectives-and-commentaries/gazas-ceasefire-has-a-human-test-it-is-failing/"> Gaza's Ceasefire Has

"The war for Tigrayans has never ended." How Renewed Conflict in Ethiopia Echoes Past Violence

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