Teenager Severely Injured by Unexploded Ordnance in Tigray

Warning: this story contains descriptions of injury detail Earlier this year, Berhane Haile’s life was irrevocably altered by a powerful explosion while he was walking home from school in the mountainous region of Tigray, northern Ethiopia. The 16-year-old had detonated a piece of ordnance, resulting in severe damage to his left leg, with bones and flesh shattered, ripped, and bleeding, causing him intense pain. “The explosion threw me away backwards. There was blood everywhere. People heard the sound and came rushing,” he recounted to the BBC World Service. Subsequently, the teenager was transported on foot for two hours by his distressed father and other villagers across hilly terrain to Adwa, the primary town in the vicinity, situated approximately 162km (100 miles) north of Tigray’s capital, Mekelle, and close to the Eritrean border. Adwa hosted the closest hospital, where medical personnel successfully preserved his life, though the remainder of his leg necessitated amputation. Additionally, sections of both his hands were lost in the blast. His agricultural village of Seyabo, nestled deep within the Tigray mountains, was strewn with unexploded ordnance following a civil war that concluded in November 2022. These remnants primarily consisted of grenades, shells, and various other weapons abandoned by retreating combatants from both factions; landmines are not believed to have been deployed in this specific locale. The two-year conflict, which displaced millions and rendered them reliant on humanitarian assistance, has been characterized as among Africa’s most lethal in recent decades. The conflict commenced in late 2020, pitting allied Ethiopian and Eritrean forces against local Tigrayan combatants, with both sides vying for regional control. The African Union estimates that up to half a million individuals perished due to the hostilities and the subsequent humanitarian crisis. Despite the peace agreement that concluded the war two years prior, casualties from unexploded ordnance and other remnants of conflict continue to occur. Berhane had deviated from the customary mountain path after observing his family’s sheep and goats grazing, intending to prevent them from straying onto another person’s property. It was at this point that he encountered the explosive device. The Red Cross reports assisting nearly 400 victims of accidental explosions since 2023, with children comprising 80% of this figure. However, the organization considers this number to represent merely the “tip of the iceberg.” Earlier this year, in Newi district, close to Adwa, Nigsti Gidey’s husband died in an explosion while she was five months pregnant. He had been assisting with construction in their village when he stepped on abandoned ordnance. Despite being transported to a hospital, he succumbed to his injuries. “Ordnances are everywhere,” his widow informed the BBC. She added, “Officials tell us not to touch any metallic substance on the road.” Initiatives have been undertaken to gather unexploded weaponry, such as in Gorero, a small village situated off the main road to Adwa, where authorities have systematically searched farms and fields. Nevertheless, comprehensive searches prove challenging, and local police chief Hadush Gebremedhin stated he has requested additional assistance from his superiors to carry out more extensive clearance operations. He has yet to receive a response, suggesting a probable scarcity of resources and a limited availability of bomb disposal specialists. Mr. Hadush’s officers have disarmed some discovered weapons by removing their fuses, but he cautioned that even then, extreme heat or accidental fires could still cause them to detonate. Organizations specializing in weapons clearance, possessing experience from other African conflicts, may eventually intervene, but the undertaking demands extensive coordination. In Adwa, officials, lacking secure methods for explosive disposal, transport them back at considerable personal hazard to store them unsystematically within the compound of the town’s peace and security office. Nevertheless, the pervasive fear that once gripped Berhane’s village, where the echoes of heavy gunfire resonated through the mountains, has subsided. Essential services such as electricity and internet access, which were disrupted during the conflict, have been restored, enabling Seyabo and other communities, including villages, towns, and cities, to revitalize. Berhane returned to school for the first time in years several months after the conflict concluded, yet even prior to his accident last February, his family’s life was significantly disrupted. During the war, he lost his eldest brother, who had been a combatant on the Tigrayan faction. Another of his sisters, who also participated as a fighter, suffered permanent injuries and continues to receive medical care in Mekelle. A third sister, who resided in a distinct part of Tigray, was displaced from her residence and has been unable to go back, as her town is situated within a contested territory claimed by both Tigray and the adjacent Amhara region. She had been residing in a camp for displaced persons in Adwa town until her recent relocation to assist Berhane. Regarding Berhane, a humanitarian organization supplied him with a prosthetic leg and a crutch, enabling him to walk once more. He could not return to Seyabo, given that daily life there frequently entails arduous treks through mountainous terrain. A typical 20-minute walk to the village school would now extend to approximately an hour, prompting his move to Adwa, where he has leased a house with his sister. They are uncertain how they will manage all their expenses, as his sister remains reliant on aid, but Berhane asserts this arrangement is optimal for him to pursue his education. His new classmates assist him with note-taking during lessons, as the explosion also caused damage to his fingers and thumbs. “I have mixed feelings,” he conveyed to the BBC concerning his circumstances. He elaborated, “Sometimes I get angry but other times I realise I am still alive and feel grateful.” His aspirations of becoming a farmer have ended. Prior to his accident, he frequently assisted his father on the family farm, cultivating maize, sorghum, and other grains. His relocation to the town has caused distress to his parents, who are already enduring the consequences of the war. However, Berhane, now 17 years old, expresses his resolve to persevere with the aim of supporting them in the future. He intends to pursue further education and aims to become a civil servant.