UN rights chief urges 'de-escalation' in Ethiopia's Tigray region

The UN has called on all parties in Ethiopia to take urgent steps to reduce tensions in the Tigray region. Recent clashes have raised concerns about a potential return to conflict between Ethiopian forces and the Tigray People's Liberation Front, whose previous fighting resulted in at least 600,000 deaths, according to the African Union. 

Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson, UN Human Rights Office said "The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk calls on all parties to take urgent steps towards de-escalation amid the precarious situation in the Tigray region.” 

The office highlighted that recent fighting has increased the risk of a worsening human rights and humanitarian crisis in northern Ethiopia.