Fears of War Lead to Food and Medicine Shortages in Meqelle and Adigrat

Drawing on historical insights from five centuries ago, when the humanist Desiderius Erasmus warned that war is only appealing to those who have never experienced it and advocated for peace, the current situation in northern Ethiopia reflects these concerns. The tangible costs of impending conflict are already becoming visible in the cities of Meqelle and Adigrat. Residents in these areas have begun stockpiling food in anticipation of turmoil, leading to increasingly empty store shelves. Additionally, critical supplies of medicines are growing dangerously scarce in local communities. Experts warn that a prolonged war would repeatedly send soldiers back to the frontlines, causing immense human suffering. Furthermore, a sustained conflict would divert the limited financial resources of a poor nation away from vital post-war rebuilding efforts and into the procurement of weaponry.