Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/ ETHIOPIA: Families embraced and wept in emotional reunions after the first commercial flight in 18 months between Ethiopia’s capital city and the war-torn Tigray region to the north.
Addis Ababa resumed flights to the Tigray capital of Mekelle on Wednesday as key services have continued in the northernmost regional state.
According to the UN, services that had been restored include air transport, mobile services, humanitarian aid, and banking after two years of conflict has led to the deaths of more than half a million people.
It came a day after the federal government delegation led by the speaker of Ethiopia’s parliament visited Mekelle, paving the way for more engagement between two sides that have fought a deadly war for two years in which hundreds of thousands of citizens have died.
Flights of Rebel-Held
A CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, Mesfin Tasew, confirmed a resumption of flights to the capital of rebel-held Tigray.
Tasew said that we are ready to serve our passengers travelling on the route between Addis Ababa and Mekelle and play our part in the socioeconomic development of our country.
The Commercial Bank of Ethiopia restarted financial services in some Tigray towns, allowing residents to access cash after the government closed services one year ago.
