GENEVA – The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday it is gravely concerned by the worsening health crisis in Ethiopia, with drought, conflict and human displacement fuelling disease and hunger.
A mosaic of more than 80 ethno-linguistic communities, the second most populous country in Africa has in recent years experienced outbreaks of deadly violence over identity and territorial claims.
War broke out between government forces and rebels in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region in November 2020, with the conflict marked by mass atrocities by all sides.
A “cessation of hostilities” deal in November 2022 ostensibly ended the brutal two-year conflict.
But that has not ended all of Ethiopia’s problems.
“WHO is gravely concerned about the worsening health crisis in parts of the country,” the UN health agency’s chief told a press conference in Geneva.
“Conflict, drought and displacement are driving widespread hunger and disease outbreaks, including media reports of near-famine conditions in Tigray and Amhara,” said Who director general Tedros Ghebreyesus.
The El Nino weather phenomenon has affected more than 17 million people across Ethiopia, but the impact in northern areas is particularly concerning, Tedros said.
“Disease outbreaks are spreading in northern Ethiopia, as a result of conflict, drought, economic shocks, and malnutrition, especially in the Tigray and Amhara regions.”
Ghebreyesus, a former health and foreign minister in Ethiopia, said more than 30 000 cholera cases were reported between August 2022 and December 2023 across the country.
“Outbreaks of malaria, measles, leishmaniasis and dengue are also on the rise,” he said, calling for greater access to the affected areas to assess the needs.
He said the internet was still cut off in Amhara, while restrictions on movement were also impeding communication and the provision of humanitarian assistance.
“Fighting is affecting access to health facilities, either through damage or destruction, roadblocks and other obstacles,” he added.
WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan said the agency was seeing countries trapped in a cycle of crises where they cannot recover from one before the next one begins.
“Unfortunately what we’re seeing more and more is a group of countries that are moving into multiple repeating crises; almost falling into the abyss of fragility, conflict and vulnerability,” he said.
– Nampa/AFP