Late last year, three researchers published a working paper at the Household in Conflict Network (HiCN) on the effect of the war on the short and long-term health of children in both countries. Using household surveys, the researchers examined the height differences of children in each countries before and after the war. Previous research has established that the lack of health (e.g. disease and malnutrition) is reflected in childhood growth rates, measurable by their height divergences from the average.

The study found two results of interest. First, the researchers argue that displacement and deportation were likely the greatest causes of health insecurity during the conflict. Fighting caused widespread displacement amongst both Eritrean and Ethiopian civilian populations. Furthermore, thousands of families were forcefully deported back to their countries. This would be particularly damaging to rural farmers unable to harvest their crops or prepare for the next season.