Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental watchdog organization headquartered in New York City. It investigates and reports on human rights abuses and advocates for governments to respect human rights. The organization is active in nearly 100 countries.

Founded in 1978 as Helsinki Watch, it initially monitored the Soviet Union’s compliance with the 1975 Helsinki Accords. Its separate global divisions merged as Human Rights Watch in 1988.

In reporting on renewed fighting in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, the organization’s deputy Africa director told The Associated Press that HRW had received reports of civilians killed and injured by shelling in southern Tigray, and that shelling had forced some health facilities to close. The account did not identify who carried out the shelling.