Northern Ethiopia medical care nears collapse amid fresh fighting, WHO chief warns

Escalating combat and aerial bombardments in northern Ethiopia are threatening to completely overwhelm the nation's fragile medical infrastructure, the leader of the World Health Organization has warned.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the global health agency, cautioned that renewed confrontations between Tigrayan insurgent groups and the federal government based in Addis Ababa have claimed civilian lives and severely weakened care facilities across the region. He emphasized that persistent fighting risks depriving vast numbers of residents of basic medical attention, including emergency interventions, pediatric care, maternal health support, and critical treatments for illnesses.

The warning follows lethal incidents over recent days, including drone strikes that struck a settlement for displaced persons in the Amhara area. According to sources engaged in relief efforts who spoke to Reuters, those Friday strikes at the Jaari 2 displacement site claimed at least 15 lives, among them multiple children. Tedros confirmed that young victims were reported among the deceased at the site. In a separate incident, multiple individuals lost their lives while attempting to obtain food supplies in Rama, located in adjacent Tigray.

While the WHO chief did not attribute responsibility to specific parties or provide an overarching death toll, he emphasized that unmanned aircraft attacks and civilian casualties have grown increasingly common throughout Ethiopia. These incidents, he noted, are deepening both the humanitarian emergency and the wider public health crisis.

Medical institutions are currently confronting acute deficits in essential gear, pharmaceuticals, and trained staff, according to the WHO. Emergency transportation via ambulances has been curtailed severely, while unsafe travel routes prevent humanitarian workers from distributing critical treatments to hard-hit localities.

The resurgence in armed hostilities poses a severe challenge to the ceasefire agreement established in November 2022 between federal authorities and Tigrayan forces, sparking concerns that a broader regional war could reignite.

Tedros stated that the WHO and fellow United Nations partners are striving to channel further relief into affected zones. He urged all parties involved to safeguard non-combatants and guarantee unimpeded movement for medical personnel and critical humanitarian shipments.