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Residents Dig Mass Graves to Bury Tigray War Victims

Heather Murdock

   HAWZEN, TIGRAY REGION - On the outskirts ofHawzen, Ethiopia,rocksand
   dirtcoverthe bodies ofwarvictimsin shallow graves.

   Somegraveshold dozens of bodies, some only a few.About 200people are
   believed to be buriedin and around the townafter more than seven
   monthsof war.

   Locals say there are about 20 graves in all, containing'¯bodies that
   were found in the streetsafter'¯multiple battles, the most recent'¯of
   which happened'¯just a few weeks ago.'¯

   Photo gallery by Yan Boechat

   Hawzenhas changed handsaboutfive timesin fightsbetweenthe Ethiopian
   National Defense Forcesand theTigrayanPeople's Liberation Front.
   Militias and Eritrean soldiers alsoareamong the warring parties.

   As sand blows over the field outside her houseon the edge
   oftown,LetayGirmay, 50, says shehelped burybodiesand hopesthey can soon
   be moved to a churchyard.
   Tigray War Victims Buried in Mass Graves

   "The bodies lay'¦on the ground for seven or eight days," shesaid. "And
   there was no one to help us take them to the church,so a few of us
   buried them. They smelled bad,rottingand attracting maggots."

   Apriest was summoned for a blessing before they covered the bodies.

   War-torn town

   InsideHawzen, many buildings are in ruins,and people can be seen
   funneling water from trucks. Much of the local infrastructure has been
   destroyed.

   Government forcesare now in control, manning checkpoints and patrolling
   the market.

   Most of the residents have fled to camps or to the homes of families or
   friendsinsafer towns, villages and cities.Nearly 2 million people in
   the Tigray region are displaced inside Ethiopia and more than 60,000
   have fled to neighboring Sudan.

   ThoseremaininginHawzenare on edge,fearingnewbattlescould break
   outagainat any moment.

   "There have been so many bombings," says a woman selling tomatoes and
   onions in a market, still open despite the tension. She doesn't want
   her name used for security reasons. "Children havedied,and houses are
   destroyed."

   In the market, most sellers lay their wares on tarps on the ground.
   Vegetables, cooking oil and a little candy is available, but almost no
   one is buying.The usual shoppers are residents of the town. Many
   remaining say they only stay because they cannot afford to goanywhere
   else.

   "There is no business at all," says the woman. "But we sit here all
   day."

   At an outdoorcoffeeshop near the market,a 33-year-old man, whoalso does
   not want his name usedfor safety reasons,says he used to own a small
   grocerystore. He soldthings like coffee, pasta and sugar. His shop,
   like so many others, was looted and is now empty, he says."Now, I have
   nothing."

   In one of the few restaurants still open,HaftomGidey, 35,says he was
   once a waiter in a local hotel. Since the war began, the hotel has been
   closed and now it is looted and damaged.

   ButHaftomsays poverty is the least of his worries. He also helped bury
   the dead after bombings and has fled his home several times.

   "I'm not afraid," he insists. "There may be things to fear, but nothing
   could be worse than what I have already seen."

   Recovery?

   The Ethiopian government says it is working to help the people of
   Tigray recover, distributing aid and prosecuting soldiers accused of
   sexual violence.

   But much of the region is cut off, with roads closed and internet
   service blocked. The World FoodProgramsaysmore than90%of the peoplein
   Tigray need emergency food aid.Most healthcare centers in Tigray are
   looted and/or damaged,and hundreds of women and girls have reported
   being raped by Eritreansoldiers,theAmhara regional militias
   andEthiopianfederalsoldiers.

   And while the government appears tohavecapturedmost of the region,
   battles continue,with war-wounded arriving at hospitals daily.

   InHawzen, locals say they see no sign ofthewar abatingas they bury
   their dead themselves.

   "The killing continues," saysLetay, asthe wind whips upher forest-green
   head wrap. "Recently we buried another seven bodies near the church."

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