The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, on Tuesday called on both Ethiopia and Eritrea to take urgent steps towards de-escalation, amid the precarious situation in the Tigray region,” the UN Human Rights Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told the bi-weekly press conference in Geneva today (10 Feb). This comes after Ethiopia accused Eritrea of a massacre in Tigray and further called on its military to exit its territory. “Recent fighting between the Ethiopian army and regional forces has highlighted the risk of a deepening human rights crisis in the north of the country.”“The situation remains highly volatile, and we fear that it will deteriorate, worsening the region’s already precarious human rights and humanitarian situation,” Shamdasani said. “There must be concerted and sustained efforts by all parties, with the help of the international community, to de-escalate tensions before it is too late. “The High Commissioner has also expressed concern at recent tensions between Ethiopia and neighbouring Eritrea, warning that they risked exacerbating the already serious human rights and humanitarian challenges in both countries, and across the wider Horn of Africa.”

Source: Ethiopian News February 11, 2026 11:13 UTC