New front in Ethiopian war displaces thousands

A patient sits in front of the emergency room at Dubti Referral Hospital, Dubti town, Afar region, Ethiopia, Feb. 22, 2022.

Ali Asyalo, 14, receives treatment after losing his right leg from grenade explosives during fighting between the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) forces, at the Dubti Referral Hospital, Dubti town, in Afar region, Ethiopia, Feb. 25, 2022.

Mussa Ibrahim, a clan and a militia leader from Erepti, one of the six districts currently occupied by Tigrayan forces, speaks to Reuters in Afdera town, Afar region, Ethiopia, Feb. 23, 2022. "There cannot be peace in Ethiopia while there is fighting in Afar," said Mussa.

A destroyed tank is seen in a field in the aftermath of fighting between the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) forces in the town of Kasagita, in the Afar region, Ethiopia, Feb. 25, 2022.

Filimon Gebremedhin, 18, a member of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and prisoner of war captured in the town of Kobo, sits in a guarded hospital room at the Dubti Referral Hospital, near the town of Semera, in the Afar region, Ethiopia, Feb. 24, 2022. Filimon was injured in Kobo before being captured. "I laid there bleeding for nine days. I had four biscuits in one of my pockets and that's what I survived on," he said.

A man poses for a photograph at the Afdera salt mine on the outskirts of the town of Afdera, in the Afar region, Ethiopia, Feb. 23, 2022.

Ayisha Abdu, 8, receives treatment after losing her left hand due to explosives left close to her house in the aftermath of fighting between the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) forces, at Dubti Referral Hospital, in the town of Dubti, in the Afar region, Ethiopia, Feb. 24, 2022.

Fatuma Hussein, 40, brings her granddaughter, Fatuma Abdi, 7, for treatment after her left leg was injured by explosives that were left close to their house during fighting between the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) forces, at the Dubti Referral Hospital, in the town of Dubti, the Afar region, Ethiopia, Feb. 24, 2022.

Miners pray the Asr prayer at the Afdera salt mine on the outskirts of the town of Afdera, in the Afar region, Ethiopia, Feb. 23, 2022.

A man poses for a photograph next to his camels on the outskirts of the town of Afdera, in the Afar region, Ethiopia, Feb. 23, 2022.

Bullet holes are seen on a mosque, caused by fighting between the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) forces in the town of Kasagita, in the Afar region, Ethiopia, Feb. 25, 2022.

A severely malnourished child drinks from a bottle, at a camp for internally displaced people in the town of Afdera, in the Afar region, Ethiopia, Feb. 23, 2022.

Camels walk in a line on the outskirts of the town of Afdera, in the Afar region, Ethiopia, Feb. 23, 2022.

A boy washes with water from a plastic bottle at a camp for internally displaced people, in the town of Afdera, in the Afar region, Ethiopia, Feb. 23, 2022.

A relative visits Teha Ahmed, 16, a civilian who was injured during fighting between the Afar Special Forces and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) forces, at Dubti Referral Hospital, in the town of Dubti, in the Afar region, Ethiopia, Feb. 22, 2022.

Amina Mohammed, 60, poses for a photograph in a makeshift camp for internally displaced people, in a compound in the town of Afdera in the Afar region, Ethiopia, Feb. 23, 2022.

Mohammed Yusuf, CEO at Dubti Referral Hospital, speaks to Reuters about civilian casualties during fighting between the Afar Special Forces and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) forces, at Dubti Referral Hospital, in the Afar region, Ethiopia, Feb. 22, 2022. Mohammed said that around 300 people wounded by the violence, including women and children, had arrived since January. Cases of children wounded by unexploded ordnance or land mines have jumped from none to around 25 cases per week for the past two months, according to Tamer Ibrahim, head nurse for the surgical unit.

A militia member and guard walks through a camp for internally displaced people in the town of Afdera, Ethiopia, Feb. 23, 2022.

A mother feeds her severely malnourished child at a camp for internally displaced people in the town of Afdera in the Afar region, Ethiopia, Feb. 23, 2022.

Militia members sit in front of a camp for internally displaced people in the town of Afdera, Ethiopia, Feb. 23, 2022.

Dawud Ali, 8, sleeps next to his uncle, Mohammed Ali, 40, after losing fingers from explosives that were left close to his house in the aftermath of fighting between the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) forces, at the Dubti Referral Hospital, in the town of Dubti, Afar region, Ethiopia, Feb. 24, 2022.

Internally displaced people who fled their homes in Berhale due to the fighting between the Afar Special Forces and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) stand near a makeshift compound, in the town of Afdera, Ethiopia, Feb. 23, 2022. Malnutrition is rising in the region, said the U.N. World Food Programme, and Afdera's camps are short of water, shelter and food.

Ayisha Ali, 40, sits near her shelter at a makeshift camp for internally displaced people, at a compound in the town of Afdera, in the Afar region, Ethiopia, Feb. 23, 2022. She said 12 of her relatives were killed when their huts were struck by explosions. Among them were her sister, her sister's five children and a pregnant cousin. "We couldn't even bury them; their bodies were in pieces," she told Reuters. "The heavy weapons were firing at us, and we ... ran away."

Ali Asyalo, 14, receives treatment after losing his right leg from grenade explosives during fighting between the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) forces, at Dubti Referral Hospital, in the town of Dubti, in the Afar region, Ethiopia, Feb. 25, 2022.

Tahir Darsa, 8, receives treatment after sustaining third degree burns caused by explosives during fighting between Afar Special Forces and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) forces, at Dubti Referral Hospital, in the town of Dubti, the Afar region, Ethiopia, Feb. 24, 2022.

Tahir Darsa, 8, sits next to his mother, Ayisha Nur, 48, as he waits to receive treatment after sustaining third-degree burns caused by explosives during fighting between the Afar Special Forces and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) forces, at Dubti Referral Hospital, in the town of Dubti, the Afar region, Ethiopia, Feb. 24, 2022.

Eysa Mohammed, 15, sits at home with her mother Asiya Mohammed, 40, after sustaining injuries to her right leg from explosives that were left near the house in the aftermath of fighting between the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) forces, in the town of Kasagita, the Afar region, Ethiopia, Feb. 25, 2022. "I was going to collect water, I stepped on a stick and then I felt fire and I saw a lot of blood spilling from my right foot," said Eysa.