Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has warned that the ongoing conflict in Ethiopia’s Amhara region has gravely damaged the local healthcare system.
Home to 23 million people, Amhara is Ethiopia’s second most populous region and has been embroiled in violent clashes since April 2023.
Despite a year-long state of emergency imposed by Addis Ababa, fighting between the army and local militias continues to disrupt daily life. MSF described the situation as a severe blow to an already fragile healthcare infrastructure struggling to meet critical needs.
Insecurity, travel restrictions, and costly transportation are blocking patients with life-threatening conditions from reaching medical help, the charity said.
Those suffering from kala-azar, a deadly tropical disease, and snakebite victims face worsening delays in accessing urgent care. Numerous healthcare centres in the region now confront shortages of essential medicines and overwhelmed medical staff.
The volatile conflict has forced MSF to suspend life-saving ambulance referrals for patients in critical condition. Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous country with about 130 million inhabitants, is battling conflicts in its two largest regions: Amhara and Oromia.
Between 2020 and 2022, a brutal war in the northern Tigray region left at least 600,000 people dead, leaving deep scars nationwide.
The ongoing violence continues to cast a shadow over Ethiopia’s hopes for peace and recovery amid widespread humanitarian challenges.
