Tears, prayers and hopes as flights to Ethiopia's war-torn Tigray resume

Passengers arrive before travelling on board the Ethiopian Airlines plane that resumes flights to Mekelle, the capital of Tigray, at the Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia December 28, 2022. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) -Kahssay Hailu sobbed, smiled and said prayers as she stood outside Addis Ababa airport, preparing to board a plane home to Ethiopia's war-torn region of Tigray.

She travelled to Addis Ababa in 2020 from the Tigray capital Mekelle to help her daughter prepare for a school exam. Weeks after her arrival, in November, conflict erupted between the federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the party that dominates the northern region.