In Mekelle, the regional capital, groups of young men carrying bags and suitcases have been gathering at night to find transport out of the area, many heading to Addis Ababa.
Residents say people are leaving even before fighting begins, as fears grow that conflict could return to the region.
Reports indicate that both federal and Tigrayan forces are again building up troops along their shared border in northern Ethiopia. The peace agreement that ended the war in 2022 was never fully implemented, leaving tensions unresolved.
The situation has also been complicated by strained relations between Ethiopia and neighbouring Eritrea, which borders Tigray.
Although there are no official figures, local sources say hundreds of people are leaving Tigray every day, travelling by bus or plane from a region that had about six million residents before the war.
