PJT International is a 501(c3) organization formed to advocate for peace & justice for Tigreans/Tigrayans/Tigraians. #Peace#Justice email: [email protected]
May is graduation month- Congratulations!!
Graduation marks a beginning, not an end. Hence, carry your curiosity, courage, and compassion to embrace challenges and opportunities that come through change. Your journey is uniquely yours, so dream widely, act wisely, and uplift others. Don’t forget that the future is brighter because you are in it every single day.
Years of effort shining bright,
Caps in the air taking flight,
New dreams and roads await,
Step forward with hope as your light.
Change what’s possible!
#Congratulations
#classof2026
PublicHealthMessage#8: Conflict Exacerbates Women’s Morbidity and Mortality
According to a United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) report and other related studies, the 2020-22 Tigray war and crisis has devastated women’s health and dignity, with over 80% of health facilities destroyed, rising maternal morbidity, deaths, and increased obstetric fistula cases due to lack of care and services.
Women endure trauma, displacement, and limited access to lifesaving services, yet limited collaborative initiatives like fistula repair, maternal waiting homes, and psychosocial support offer hope and recovery.
Call to action:
Professionals and policymakers must urgently rebuild health systems, expand skilled maternal care, invest in mental health and economic recovery, and prioritize women’s health and rights.
Sustained funding, accountability, and global solidarity are essential to restore dignity, save lives, and ensure that Tigrayan women receive the justice and healthcare they deserve.
@Tigrai_TV@tigraionline@TigraiTsier@UNFPA@UNFPAEthiopia@UN@WHO@WHOEthiopia@OmnaTigray@TigrayC60610@ayder_hospital@AksumHospi4940
#EndFistula
#IncreaseObstetricsCare
#WomensRights
#WomanChildHealth
https://t.co/MtUG4DeKOR
🚨Breaking News- related to a legal case of an alleged victimization of rape and genocide survivors of Tigray women by Hiwyet organization and its CEO that was reported months ago. Someone tipped me this “Notice from the Ethiopian Federal High Court” that’s published in the @EthiopiaHerald
Plaintiff: Tigray Region Justice Bureau
Defendants: Hiwyet Charity Organization and Mrs Meseret Hadush W/Mariam
Re: criminal litigation of aggravated breach of trust (serious breach of trust). Because you can not be found in your address to be served, you are hereby ordered to appear at the Tigray Region Supreme Court, Criminal bench Mekelle City Circuit Court on May 12, at 2:30 local time to defend to the charges filled against you. The court has ordered that if you fail to appear on the specified date and time, the case will be heard in absentia.
Source: The Ethiopian Herald, April 28, 2026
Note:
I firmly believe that anyone is innocent until proven guilty in the court of law but in the court of morality the bar and scrutiny must be much higher and hence the principle of presumption of credibility should apply. The Istanbul Convention and UN Women guidelines emphasize that the absence of a legal conviction does not invalidate the experiences of survivors, nor should it be used to dismiss or diminish their voices. The legal system is one avenue for justice, but it is not the only measure of truth or accountability, especially in cases where systemic barriers often prevent survivors from coming forward or achieving legal redress.
FYI-
@AsiaAbdulkadir@medicamondiale@monikahauser1@MonikaHoegen@PPinzler@MichaelWindfuhr
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Disclaimer:
I have nothing personal about the accused persons or organization but given that there seems to be double victimization of the survivor of rape and SGBV, there needs to be an independent investigation. As a public health professional and someone who advocates for justice, I didn’t want to ignore the loud voices of the victims which were corroborated with evidence. See below some of the examples.
HF media1:
https://t.co/VU5lgygVZF
HFM#2:
https://t.co/WaTYQ3ylb4
Dedebit media1 victim testimony:
https://t.co/BofJapbSBT
Dedebit media2:
https://t.co/47sxzMnXyF
Dedebit media3: https://t.co/1JPu6L5l11
Dedebit media4: https://t.co/bYSQotvdAX
Dedebit media5:
https://t.co/KOrn1lcSkj
@addisstandard@dwnews@TigrayArch@Tigrai_TV@dimtsiweyane@Ethioforumm@EthioReporter@FentaleMed15836@UMDMedia_@DrTedros@JborgGa@dr_wakanda@EllaAtsbeha@Medihingebre@GetachewAssefa_@getachew_temare@DrMehari@OmnaTigray@meazaG_@addisstandardam@addisstandard
ናይ ዓድና ሕጊ እባ እንታይ ይብል?
“ኣብ 1997 ዝወፀን ገበነኛ መቕፅዒ ሕጊ ዓንቀፅ 456 /2/ ሓደ ሰብ ኣብ ከይዲ ሕጊ ንዘሎ ጉዳይ ንተኸሳሲ ካብ ተሓታትነት ንኽምለጥ ብዝብል ዝ���ፀሞ ገብን ከይቃላዕ ዝገበረ ካብ ቀሊል እስራት እስካብ ሸውዓተ ዓመት ዝበፅሕ ከቢድ ማእሰርቲ ይቕፃዕ።”
ዝምልከቶ ኣካል ሰጉምቲ ይውሰድ በሉታ!
https://t.co/xTqCFfOp3d
2/2
Rejoinder continues…
Fourth, the article mischaracterizes political developments within Tigray. The restoration of the TPLF leadership under Debretsion Gebremichael did not provoke a dramatic response from the federal government. Contrary to the narrative of escalating confrontation, Addis Ababa’s reaction has been relatively muted. The strongest reactions have come not from Abiy’s administration but from factions associated with the former Tigray interim authorities (TIRA #1), including figures such as Getachew Reda and Tsadkan Gebretensae, whose diminishing political influence is a key, but underreported, factor in current tensions.
By failing to distinguish between intra-Tigrayan political rivalries and federal-regional dynamics, DW collapses multiple layers of conflict into a single, simplified storyline of impending war. This conflation obscures more than it reveals.
In conclusion, while vigilance regarding instability in the Horn of Africa is warranted, alarmist reporting grounded in selective sourcing does a disservice to readers. A more nuanced analysis would recognize that despite inflammatory rhetoric, Ethiopia’s internal fractures, economic hardships, regional entanglements and diplomatic pressures significantly limit the plausibility of imminent war with Eritrea or Tigray. If it does, I believe it would be the end of the Abiy regime!
@dwnews@dw_amharic@Yonigussie@addisstandardam@addisstandard@Ethioforumm@reyotmedia@DawitSeyoum14@TiborPNagyJr@Tigrai_TV@tigraionline
Source:
https://t.co/8k7c5efmYV
The other opinions aside, the two most important messages I would take from this post are: CALM tension and talk to further PEACE. Nobody benefits from another round of war- no people, no government, no region or no western country except those selling war arsenals.
In the words of @SenatorShaheen
“I respectfully urge you to provide the JEOP with funding for market-based assistance for IDPs in Northern Ethiopia for the upcoming lean season to avert a catastrophic humanitarian disaster in Tigray. I further urge that the State Department reassert the U.S. commitment to the COHA and instruct the Africa Bureau to use all diplomatic tools to work toward a de-escalation of tensions between Tigray and the Federal government to implement the COHA, specifically calling for the withdrawal of Eritrean and Amhara forces from Tigray and the safe return of IDPs to avoid another "catastrophic humanitarian disaster.”
#AcceptTigraysSoverignity
#AcceptTigraysRights
#ReturnIDPsHome
#EndBlockingHumanitarianAid
#PayPublicServantSalaries
#AllowIndependentInvestigation
@AsstSecStateAF@ChrisLandauUSA@SenateForeign@SFRCdems@HouseForeign@RepGregoryMeeks@BradSherman@Tigrai_TV@tigraionline@Ethioforumm@USEmbassyAddis@_AfricanUnion@GermanyinUSA
It’s Day of Defiance Against War!!
Did you really say “abrogated the interim governance structure established by the COHA”?
When are you going to be a fair arbiter of facts?
#COHA was abolished by Abiy Ahmed long ago despite Tigray asking otherwise (several statements were issued by the TPLF, TDF and even the defunct TIRA#2) to rescue it.
You know very well that Abiy outlawed the signatory to the COHA long ago which literally abrogated the agreement and yet you have the audacity to point fingers at the TPLF today and accuse it for ‘abrogating’ COHA?
It is disgraceful. Where did you throw your ‘academic’ hat?
It looks like your statement is in coordination with Getachew Reda and Ghedion, who are bent to destroy what’s left of Tigray for sake of Abiy’s power. Disturbing!!
Tigray has been in a much worse “precarious” situation and to many today is a day of defiance against living in a stats-quo of second citizenry unlike your insinuation!
#StopGaslighting
#StopDoubleStandards
#TigrayDeservesGovernment
It was a pleasure and honor to speak on issue of conflict and health with focus on the role of professionals, our institutions and professional associations - with a lens on the #TigrayWar.
Happing today at #PEGASUS2026 conversations about global health, international issues that affect our health, wellbeing and the environment. Some of the plenary topics include:
- Rule based international order (Jorge Heine)
-Reforming international development to impact global health, peace, and security (Keith Martin)
- Bridging the gap: scaling innovative solutions for an interconnected world (Fawd Akbari)
- global health in crisis: what’s the role of a medical journal (Jocalyn Clark)
@PublicHealth@UWaterloo@MUSCGlobalSurg@MUSC_COM@musc_cgs@Inst_Pegasus
#InterconnectedFutures
#PEGASUS2026
#Peace
#GlobalHealth
#EnvironmentalSustainability
Europe Waking up now?
Why are #European governments now raising alarms about “de-escalation” just as #Tigray seeks to exercise its constitutional right to form a government?
This comes after Abiy effectively dismantled the Pretoria Agreement, first by undermining it and, over the past two years, by failing to honor its commitments, despite repeated appeals from Tigray for full implementation and a genuine peace. Recently he killed it by unilaterally extending TIRA using expired decrees that completely negate the Pretoria Agreement.
Why don’t these countries ask Abiy to stop his belligerence?
Why have these governments not instead called on Abiy to respect the COHA, constitution, as well as the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the people of Tigray?
#AvertWar
#KeepPeace
#RespectPeopleRights
#EndTigraysSuffering
@AsstSecStateAF@AzeemIbrahim@_AfricanUnion@EU_Commission@Europarl_EN@USEmbassyAddis@GermanyinUSA@AmnestyEU@hrw@DawitSeyoum14@Ethioforumm
The 2026 #AACR conference is going well. So far, I am having very productive days attending, networking and presenting.
Good questions and suggestions about our seminal work on the unique relationships between Type 2 Diabetes Control and Prostate Cancer Outcomes in Veterans with Type 2 Diabetes. A lot of good suggestions and leads.
#FundCancerResearch
#MultimorbidityNeedsAttention
#StopCancer
#StopDiabetes
#HealthServicesResearch
#Biostatistics
@AACR@AACRFoundation@Debeblab@MUSChealth@MedUnivSC@MUSC_COM@HSRdirector@vahsrd
32nd Annual Thomas A. Pitts Memorial Lectureship in Medical Ethics and Public Health
Session1: Public Health Paternalism
Session2: Environment & Public Health
Session3: Public Health & Conflict
Session4: Ethics & Global HIV/AIDS
Dr Isaias Irgau and I are speaking on session 3 on topics related making conflict a priority public health agenda and delivering healthcare in resource limited settings.
On the background are my colleagues Dr Vena and Dr Korte of public health sciences at MUSC.
@MUSChealth@MUSCUnivPress@MUSC_COM@PublicHealth
Ambassador @TiborPNagyJr who was US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa during the first Trump admin, in his interview with @JimStenman says "keeping the #TPLF from being able to register to run in the elections is personally a huge mistake... TPLF is ingrained in to the DNA of #Tigrai."
Well said!
However, reports indicate that the elections are engineered for PP to win at least 66% (veto proof majority) while its satellite parties like #Ezema get their assigned quotas. There are reports that PP plans NOT to participate in some districts intentionally so that some parties win to make it look like fair election.
On the other hand, formidable parties like the #TPLF and others have been outlawed not to be part of any Ethiopian political life. Tigray doesn’t have any representatives in parliament, house of federation or judiciary branch let alone at the executive branch?
#TigrayPeople
#ትግራይ
@AsstSecStateAF@ChrisLandauUSA@BradSherman@RepSaraJacobs@RepGregoryMeeks@SenateForeign@Tigrai_TV@tigrayyouthntwk@TigrayC60610@TigraiTsier@OmnaTigray@DawitSeyoum14
https://t.co/NYnxqlRswQ
Tigray Finance Bureau Urges Federal Government to Release Outstanding Budget Amid Severe Financial Strain
----
Tigray Bureau of Finance and Economic Cooperation has called on the Ethiopian federal government to urgently release the remaining budget allocated to Tigray, warning of a deepening financial crisis caused by delayed disbursements.
In a letter addressed to the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Bureau stated that funds expected to be transferred between October and March—amounting to billions of birr—have not been released on schedule, severely affecting the Tigray’s public finance management.
According to the Bureau, out of the 17.1 billion birr scheduled for disbursement during the stated period, only 8.5 billion birr has been transferred to date, leaving a significant portion of the budget outstanding.
The Bureau further reported that the delay has made it impossible to pay salaries for approximately 141,000 government employees, placing significant strain on public service delivery across Tigray.
It also indicated that more than 844 million birr allocated for development initiatives remains undisbursed, resulting in the suspension of over 20 major development projects. In addition, the Bureau noted that World Bank auditors are currently reviewing budget utilization processes and are providing feedback based on their audit findings.
The Bureau urged the federal government to recognize the urgency of the situation and expedite the release of the remaining funds to mitigate the ongoing financial and administrative challenges.
For the 2025-26 Ethiopian fiscal year, the total budget allocated to Tigray stands at 23.6 billion birr. However, the Bureau emphasized that the delayed disbursement continues to disrupt both routine government operations and development activities in Tigray.
News: #Tigrayans face ‘dehumanizing restrictions’ in #Western_Tigray as abuses persist, return remains unsafe despite truce: HRW
Western Tigray, currently under the control of federal and Amhara region-affiliated forces, was designated in a 2023 report by the #United_States Department of State as the site of ethnic cleansing, including crimes against humanity involving deportation and forcible transfer, carried out against Tigrayans.
https://t.co/Ii5dLnWAGf
How many people are starving? How is the Ethiopian government doing this while not paying civil servants their salaries?
According to WFP’s report,
“Food insecurity and malnutrition are at alarming levels in Ethiopia, where widespread displacement, insecurity, drought risks and soaring food prices are fuelling a deepening crisis.
Malnutrition is above the emergency threshold nationwide, with 4.4 million women and young children urgently needing treatment.
Regional conflicts are compounding the crisis, as new refugees arrive with urgent food needs. In total, Ethiopia hosts over 1 million refugees, mainly from South Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea and Sudan.
Insecurity in Amhara poses direct risks to WFP and partners, and is driving up operating costs.
The World Food Programme (WFP) provides food and nutrition assistance, with a plan to support 6.8 million people in 2025.
However, our ability to respond to hunger needs is being severely hampered by critical funding shortfalls. Without urgent funding, 2.6 million of Ethiopia’s most vulnerable people could be cut from life-saving assistance.
WFP is expected to receive just over half of last year’s funding and urgently requires US$230 million to continue life-saving assistance through to March 2026.”
https://t.co/d9Cio5I6T2
@CNNAfrica@LarryMadowo@addisstandard@Ethioforumm@addis_fortune@AsstSecStateAF@TiborPNagyJr@RepGregoryMeeks
Dear @LaetitiaBader
First thanks for your continued advocacy for justice and peace for my people and beyond!
Although the term “contested” Western Tigray is inaccurate, both historically and constitutionally, the suffering of the people of Tigray, particularly those languishing in IDP camps, has endured for far too long. We are now hearing reports that the Abiy regime is mobilizing individuals driven by grievances and vengeance against TPLF/TDF leaders to form a united front against Tigray. These actions directly violate the now-defunct Pretoria Agreement, which was effectively nullified by Abiy Ahmed’s unilateral decisions. What the people urgently need is peace and justice, and, above all, the opportunity to return safely to their homes before the onset of the rainy season in May.
#JusticeForTigray
#ReturnIDPsHome #RestorePretoriaAgreement #PeaceForTigray
@hrw@amnesty@TiborPNagyJr@Tigrai_TV@AsstSecStateAF@ChrisLandauUSA@BradSherman@RepSaraJacobs@ForeignAffairs@ForeignPolicy@addisstandard@AJEnglish@DawitSeyoum14