The devastating civil war in northern Ethiopia that began in November 2020 and ended with a peace deal brokered in Pretoria in November 2022 has had far-reaching effects in Tigray. As many as 300,000 to 800,000 people are estimated to have lost their lives (Tigray War Project, 2023) and more than 1.6 million were displaced (IOM, 2021).
Relatively little is known about the specific impacts of the conflict on young people in Tigray, despite the fact that 34.6% of the country’s population are between the ages of 10 and 24 years (UNFPA, 2024). With ongoing consultations across the country about transitional justice (Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, 2024), this is an important juncture at which to consider young people’s experiences and priorities for post-conflict rebuilding and reconciliation. As such, this short research brief synthesises findings from a mixed-methods study carried out in the eastern, northwestern and southern zones of Tigray in early 2024 with 753 adolescents and 375 caregivers. The study focused on the effects of the conflict on Tigrayan households’ livelihoods and food security, and on adolescents’ bodily integrity (including girls’ risk of female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage), psychosocial well-being, education and health. This brief begins with a short overview of the study sample and methods, followed by a summary of our key findings, before concluding with priorities for policy and programmatic action.