WHO warns northern Ethiopia violence is bringing health system closer to collapse

Fighting and drone attacks in northern Ethiopia are threatening to overwhelm an already fragile health system, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned in a statement on Monday. He said recent violence had killed civilians and increased pressure on medical facilities struggling to maintain services.

Tedros said continued hostilities between rebels from the northern Tigray region and the government in Addis Ababa could leave more people without essential care. The services at risk include emergency treatment, care for mothers and children, and treatment for diseases, adding to the humanitarian consequences of the conflict.

At least 15 people were killed on Friday when a series of drone strikes hit a camp housing displaced civilians in the Amhara region, sources involved in rescue efforts told Reuters. Several children were among those killed, according to the sources, whose account described multiple strikes on the camp.

Tedros confirmed reports that children were among the dead at the Jaari 2 displacement camp in Amhara. He also reported that several people had been killed while looking for food in Rama, in neighbouring Tigray. He provided no overall death toll for the attacks and did not name those responsible.

The WHO chief warned that drone strikes and civilian deaths were occurring more frequently across Ethiopia, deepening both public health problems and humanitarian needs. His statement linked the continuing violence to growing difficulties in providing healthcare, with medical facilities short of the staff and supplies needed to treat patients.

Hospitals lack health workers, medicines and equipment, Tedros said, while ambulance services remain severely restricted. Insecurity is also preventing life-saving medical supplies from reaching some areas. Those obstacles are placing further strain on a system he described as moving closer to collapse as violence continues in the north.

The WHO is working with other United Nations agencies to bring in additional supplies, according to Tedros. He appealed for civilians to be protected and for health workers and medical products to be able to reach people who need assistance.

The renewed clashes between an alliance of Tigray rebels and the government have left the November 2022 peace agreement between the two sides largely shattered. The fighting has also fuelled concerns that the conflict could widen.