Rights group Amnesty International said the brutality against women could amount to "war crimes," with hundreds raped in the conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray region.

Amnesty International says women and girls in Tigray were subject to rape and other sexual violence by Ethiopian soldiers and their allies, in a bid to inflict lasting physical and psychological damage. In a new report, the rights group says accounts of gang rape, sexual slavery and sexual mutilation amount to war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity. Those who documented the testimonies say details of the atrocities are some of the worst they have come across in their careers.

Since fighting broke out in November 2020, the conflict in Tigray has spread and could destabilize the whole Horn of Africa region. Here's how it unfolded.

Aid workers inside Ethiopia have warned that hostilities will only aggravate the humanitarian situation in the Tigray region. Clashes have already driven hundreds of thousands of people into famine-like conditions.

Rebels in Ethiopia's war-torn Tigray region have been looting aid warehouses, the US aid agency said on Tuesday, calling the alleged thefts a "great concern for humanitarians".

Human Rights Watch detailed the killing and rape of Eritrean refugees by Eritrean troops and Tigray rebels. The report documents atrocities committed around two camps in northern Ethiopia.

Since the beginning of the summer, the conflict in northern Ethiopia's Tigray has spread to neighbouring regions, particularly to Amhara. The Ethiopian federal army, backed by regional Amhara forces and militias, is battling troops of the TPLF – the Tigray People's Liberation Front. Ever since the fighting broke out last November, the warring parties have been repeatedly accused of committing serious human rights violations. This new front is no exception. Our journalists were able to report from the Amhara region, where civilians are still paying a heavy price in this conflict. Maria Gerth-Niculescu and Marika Julien report.

Military attacks are once again punctuating the ongoing crisis in Ethiopia. But government officials have not acknowledged a fresh offensive, which Tigray forces say began last week.

Separatists accused the government of killing civilians in the strike that Adis Ababa said was targeting arms depots. Amid the turmoil, the UN announced withdrawing half of its staff from the country.

There's no end in sight to Ethiopia's Tigray conflict following days of airstrikes by federal government forces.

The UN has suspended flights to Tigray's regional capital after a plane had to abort landing in Mekelle. The humanitarian situation in the region is dire with civilians facing famine-like conditions, the UN added.

As Addis Ababa steps up its air offensive against the TPLF, and Tigray forces advance on the ground, the situation of the civilian population grows more desperate by the hour.