© Trail Bridge Construction. Helvetas/Simon B. Opladen
Every year, thousands of members of the humanitarian community gather at AidEx, a global event where practitioners exchange lessons on navigating increasingly complex crises. Among the contributors this year was our member Helvetas, represented by Betseit Sisay, Country Director for Ethiopia, who shared reflections from Ethiopia during a panel on the humanitarian–development–peace nexus.
Drawing on experience from the crisis in Tigray, she offered important insights into what it takes to support communities in fragile, conflict-affected contexts, and why layered, coordinated responses are essential for sustainable recovery.
Tigray is a mountainous region in northern Ethiopia, bordering Eritrea and Sudan, and home to around six million people. Before conflict erupted in November 2020, the region had been developing steadily under Ethiopia’s decentralized governance system. Fighting between Ethiopia’s federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front rapidly escalated, devastating the region and spilling into neighboring Amhara. Access was severely restricted during the conflict, and it was only after a ceasefire brokered by the African Union in late 2022 that humanitarian actors could return at scale. Millions were displaced, infrastructure was destroyed, and livelihoods collapsed.
Our member Helvetas had worked in Tigray for decades prior to the conflict, supporting long-term development initiatives, including the construction of trail bridges that connected rural communities across difficult terrain. After earlier projects reached sustainability, Helvetas had exited the region, but returned as soon as access was restored in November 2022.
What they encountered was sobering: widespread destruction, deep trauma, and hundreds of thousands of people stripped of their livelihoods. Yet there was also remarkable resilience. Women and men affected by the conflict were not asking for handouts. They wanted the opportunity to rebuild, to work, and to restore dignity to their daily lives.
With support from Swiss donors including the City of Zurich, Swiss Solidarity and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, along with other partners, Helvetas began by restoring productive assets such as seeds, chicks and farming tools that had been lost during the war. Recognising that agricultural recovery takes time, they simultaneously provided multipurpose cash assistance. This enabled families to meet urgent daily needs while waiting for crops to grow and livestock to mature. The approach also helped stimulate local markets, encouraging supply chains to restart.
The sequencing of support was critical. Immediate assistance addressed survival needs for the most vulnerable, while parallel efforts helped revive market systems and local economies. Over time, communities began regaining their footing, cultivating not only for household consumption but also for sale in local markets. Through self-help groups, people pooled savings, invested in small businesses and diversified their incomes.
One woman, who had lost her husband and two children during the war, shared that returning to farming gave her more than food security. It allowed her to focus on rebuilding her life. Being able to work the fields again, she explained, helped her regain a sense of stability and purpose.
Trail bridges, many originally supported by Helvetas, play a crucial role in rural connectivity. While some were heavily damaged, others remained intact. Repairing them proved systemically important. Without safe crossings, produce cannot reach markets and essential goods such as medicine cannot reach communities. Working with government partners and Bridges to Prosperity, and with labour contributions from local communities, Helvetas provided engineering expertise, tools and materials to restore these vital links.
Today, many of these bridges are once again fully functional and maintained locally. Children, especially girls, are using them daily to attend school, a powerful sign of recovery and renewed opportunity.
As access reopened, it became clear that quick fixes would not suffice. Multi-dimensional crises demand coordinated, multi-dimensional responses. Helvetas focused on livelihoods and economic recovery, while collaborating closely with other actors addressing shelter repair, water and sanitation, health, education and psychosocial support. They also partnered with local organisations such as Nexus Ethiopia to ensure trauma-informed care complemented economic assistance.
How are things now?
How are things now? The people of Tigray and neighboring Amhara continue to demonstrate resilience. During recent visits to project sites, Helvetas observed tangible signs of recovery: chickens clucking in courtyards, carefully prepared plots of land nearing harvest, and steady movement across rehabilitated bridges, all indicators of communities working toward shared prosperity.
Beyond direct support to households, our member Helvetas has been working with local governments to strengthen their ability to provide essential services. Recovering from such a profound shock is not simple, particularly in a context where tensions remain and conflict-sensitive programming is essential. Helvetas Ethiopia continues to prioritise approaches that reduce risks and contribute to stability.
The support in Tigray has now transitioned from humanitarian assistance to a new phase focused on systemic sustainability. Rather than direct aid, the emphasis is on strengthening structures that enable long-term resilience. Self-help groups have proven especially effective in supporting economic diversification and resilience-building. Members are accessing credit, setting aside seeds for future planting seasons, and sharing knowledge on climate-smart agriculture. These collective structures were part of a strong tradition before the war. Ensuring their revival and durability is central to fostering lasting recovery.
