The Fuel Embargo on Tigray is a siege

Tigray is once again facing a calculated blockade—not through direct military assault, but through economic strangulation that threatens lives just as effectively as war. The deliberate restriction of fuel supplies by the Ethiopian federal government is not an isolated incident; it is a continuation of siege tactics that were employed during the peak of the genocidal war on Tigray. With no fuel deliveries for over two weeks, essential services are collapsing, and the already fragile humanitarian situation is deteriorating at an alarming rate.

A Deliberate Restriction, Not a Logistical Challenge

Tigrayan officials have accused the federal government of imposing an embargo, a claim substantiated by a letter from the Tigray Trade and Export Agency. Addressed to key federal bodies, including the Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration, the Ethiopian Petroleum and Energy Authority, and the Ethiopian Petroleum Supply Enterprise, the letter highlights a sharp decline in fuel shipments over the past two months, culminating in a complete halt. The Ethiopian government has yet to offer a credible explanation, instead deflecting inquiries with bureaucratic evasions reminiscent of the full-scale blockade imposed on Tigray between 2021 and 2022.

A Humanitarian Crisis Worsens

The fuel embargo is exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis. Hospitals are struggling to transport essential medicines and medical supplies, putting patients’ lives at risk. Ambulance services have nearly ceased, leaving those in rural areas without emergency medical care. Humanitarian aid organizations, already operating under severe constraints, now face insurmountable challenges in reaching internally displaced persons (IDPs) who are in desperate need of food and shelter. Without fuel, trucks carrying life-saving supplies cannot move, cutting off lifelines to the most vulnerable populations.

Beyond the immediate humanitarian impact, the economic repercussions of the fuel blockade are devastating. Infrastructure projects vital to rebuilding the genocidal war-ravaged region have ground to a halt. Small businesses, already struggling to recover, are unable to transport goods, paralyzing local commerce. Farmers and traders who rely on fuel for distribution are on the brink of collapse, leading to severe food shortages and skyrocketing prices in local markets. The siege is not just a temporary disruption—it is an engineered economic crisis that threatens the long-term survival of Tigray’s people.

Weaponizing Scarcity: A Political Strategy

This is not a case of supply chain issues or bureaucratic oversight—it is a calculated act of economic warfare. The parallels to the prelude of the Tigray War in late 2020 are striking. Artificial shortages of essential goods create suffering, enable illicit markets that benefit a select few, and systematically weaken the region. The withholding of fuel is a strategic move to exert political pressure, leveraging humanitarian distress as a tool of coercion. By maintaining control over the flow of vital resources, the Ethiopian government is effectively holding the civilian population hostage.

A Prolonged Siege by Other Means

The fuel embargo comes amid ongoing tensions between the Ethiopian federal government and a faction within Tigray, the Debretsion Gebremichael aligned Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). While active combat has stopped, the siege mentality persists. By restricting fuel, the Ethiopian government is ensuring that the humanitarian crisis in Tigray remains unresolved, even in cease fire. This is not about national security or logistical challenges—it is about control and submission.

History suggests that such tactics rarely remain confined to one sector. If fuel can be restricted, so too can food, banking services, and communication access. The deliberate isolation of Tigray follows a well-documented pattern of economic and humanitarian strangulation designed to erode resilience and enforce compliance.

The International Community Must Act

The world cannot afford to turn a blind eye to this ongoing siege. Humanitarian aid must not be weaponized, and access to essential resources should not be subject to political manipulation. The international community—governments, humanitarian organizations, and global institutions—must demand an immediate end to the fuel blockade and ensure that aid flows unimpeded into Tigray.

If history has taught us anything, it is that silence in the face of such calculated deprivation only emboldens those who wield suffering as a weapon. The people of Tigray deserve to live free from economic coercion. The question now is whether the world will intervene—or whether it will, once again, watch in silence as a crisis deepens before its eyes.