On Tuesday, Washington renewed its call for its citizens to leave Ethiopia immediately, amid escalating fears that the war would spread to the capital, while the United Nations confirmed the arrest of at least 1,000 people since Ethiopia declared a state of emergency early this month, most of them from Tigray region.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price said that the Americans should leave Ethiopia immediately and not expose themselves to the risk of besieging if the war spreads to the capital.

He added that US passport holders should not expect a Kabul-style air bridge if the fighting reaches Addis Ababa, according to a statement he made to the American "Axios" website.

In a related context, the United Nations confirmed the arrest of at least 1,000 people since Ethiopia declared a state of emergency on November 2, most of them from Tigray region.

"We are concerned by the continued arrests last week in Addis Ababa, as well as in Gondar and Bahir Dar and in other towns, where police have indicated very broad state of emergency measures," said Liz Throssell, a spokeswoman for the UN human rights office.

During a press conference in Geneva, the spokeswoman indicated that "this development is of grave concern, especially since most of the detainees may be from Tigray, and are often arrested on suspicion of belonging to or supporting the Tigray People's Liberation Front."

She added that according to reports, at least 1,000 people had been arrested, "and some reports spoke of much higher numbers."

Specifically on the situation of local UN staff, she explained, "Ten people are still being held, in addition to about 34 drivers" working for the organization.

Many areas in Tigray mean hunger and malnutrition (Getty Images)

starvation and malnutrition

On the other hand, a new study revealed that nearly 200 children died in hospitals in different parts of Tigray as a result of starvation, with the exacerbation of malnutrition.

The data, collected from 14 hospitals, sheds light on the extent of the suffering in Tigray province, which is grappling with what the United Nations describes as a virtual blockade that prevents aid from entering.

"We have recorded more than 186 deaths," said Dr. Hagos Godfay, head of the health office of the pre-war Tigray government, referring to deaths from severe acute malnutrition in children under five.

Only 14% of surveyed households reported having sufficient access to food, compared to 60% previously, according to Hagos, who expressed his fear of what is happening in areas that his teams have not been able to reach until now.

Last Thursday, Ethiopia set conditions for possible talks with opposition factions, including a halt to attacks, the withdrawal of the Tigray People's Liberation Front from the neighboring Amhara and Afar regions, and recognition of the government's legitimacy.

For its part, the Tigray People's Liberation Front is demanding that aid be allowed into the region, where the conflict erupted last year.