When the Sky Becomes a Battlefield: Civilian Protection and the Escalating Use of Airstrikes in Tigray

The renewed fighting in Tigray has brought a familiar and devastating violence back to Tigray: the use of aerial military and heavy weapons in populated areas. For civilians already living with the consequences of years of genocidal war, displacement and humanitarian deprivation, the escalation represents not simply a military development but a profound threat to life, health, education and basic human security.

A residential compound in Mekelle

One of the clearest documented incidents occurred on 20 August 2026, when an apparent Ethiopian government airstrike struck a residential compound in the Daero neighborhood of Mekelle.

According to Human Rights Watch, the attack wounded 13 civilians, including seven children. Human Rights Watch examined photographs, videos and satellite imagery of the site and interviewed survivors, residents and medical workers. The organization reported that there was no evident military target at the residential compound and called for the incident to be investigated as a possible war crime.

The consequences were particularly severe for children. Among those injured was a 12-year-old girl who suffered a complicated leg fracture requiring surgery. Human Rights Watch also reported that residents said they had seen no Tigrayan fighters or other military presence in or around the compound before or after the strike.

Violence targeting humanitarian operations

The violence has not been confined to residential neighborhoods.

Human Rights Watch reported that on 21 September, a drone struck a humanitarian aid convoy in Tigray, an incident condemned by the United States government. The attack highlights the increasingly violent operating environment facing humanitarian organizations and the civilians dependent on humanitarian assistance.

The targeting or endangerment of humanitarian operations has consequences far beyond the immediate damage caused by an individual strike. Humanitarian convoys carry food, medical supplies and other necessities to communities already affected by war. When such movements become unsafe, assistance can be delayed or suspended precisely when civilian needs are increasing.

Hospitals are receiving hundreds of war-wounded

The humanitarian consequences of the renewed fighting are also visible in Tigray's hospitals.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported on 28 September that the number of war-wounded patients received at hospitals in Korem and Alamata increased from approximately 180 within 48 hours to more than 420 between 22 and 25 September. In north-western Tigray, more than 300 war-wounded patients had arrived at Suhul Hospital in Shire by 25 September.

MSF said its teams had increased their activities in response to the influx of wounded people. Operations at Alamata Hospital and outreach activities were suspended because of the security situation, while staff were redirected to support hospitals experiencing the greatest pressure. The organization also reported rising displacement as civilians fled the fighting.

These figures reveal the pressure being placed on an already fragile health system. Hospitals are not only treating people injured in the fighting; they are simultaneously expected to maintain essential maternal, child and emergency health services while insecurity restricts movement and humanitarian access.

What international humanitarian law requires

International humanitarian law establishes fundamental protections for civilians during armed conflict.

The International Committee of the Red Cross explains that parties to an armed conflict must distinguish between civilians and combatants and between civilian objects and military objectives. Attacks directed against civilians and indiscriminate attacks are prohibited. The law also requires parties to take precautions to minimize civilian harm and prohibits attacks expected to cause excessive civilian harm in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated.

Human Rights Watch similarly notes that serious violations of the laws of war committed deliberately or recklessly can constitute war crimes. In relation to the 20 August Mekelle strike, the organization has specifically called for an investigation.