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Ethiopia

Ethiopia: Northern Ethiopia Access Snapshot (September 2022)

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In September, the humanitarian access situation in northern Ethiopia continued to deteriorate, including along international borders and boundary areas across the regions. Civilians continue to bear the brunt of hostilities, with dozens of casualties reported and thousands forced to flee for their lives, some displaced for the second third time since the conflict started in November 2020. Humanitarian operators found themselves in the midst of fighting, in at least two incidents aid workers were injured following attacks impacting humanitarian trucks used during distributions.

The conflict in northern Ethiopia has displaced hundreds of thousands of people and continues to cause increasingly severe humanitarian and protection needs. Displaced people were not spared from the hostilities, with those who were able to flee for their lives, finding themselves yet again looking for adequate shelter. Humanitarian partners have been struggling since the very first hours of the escalation in fighting End-August to deliver the much-needed assistance, working under very unpredictable and dire conditions.

Relief convoy movements – either by air or road - into Tigray remained on complete standstill since 24 August, with humanitarian flights of United Nations Humanitarian Services (UNHAS) suspended pending clearance. This comes at a time of increasing humanitarian needs and also during a crucial moment to contain rising numbers of malnutrition. Available humanitarian stock had to be distributed across the increasing number of people in need, and partners facing difficult choices in terms of beneficiaries to reach while providing smaller quantities and rations of aid. Further, partners were not able to mobilize any ‘cash’ to support relief operations, while lack of fuel impacted their ability to deliver much needed aid to the population. Through northern Ethiopia, in several instances, partners’ vehicles were seized by parties to the conflict only to be returned after discussions and negotiations on the ground. Partners were forced to suspend operations and relocate staff out of conflict-affected areas.

The use of various kind of weapons and ammunitions continued putting civilians including aid workers in danger. The humanitarian situation in Tigray continued to deteriorate in September, with thousands displaced in North-Western zone’s Sheraro, Tahtay Adiabo, Adi Hageray woredas. The zone hosts the highest number of IDPs in northern Ethiopia, many displaced since 2020 from Western Tigray and boundary areas with Eritrea and Amhara. Further, clashes scaled up in and around Rama (Central Tigray), thousands were displaced in Eastern zone’s Zalambesa, Erob, Fatsi and Bizet woredas, while shelling hit Adigrat town.

In Amhara, armed confrontations continued in boundary areas with Tigray such as North Gondar, Wag Hamra, and North Wollo. Thousands were displaced from Kobo, Woldiya or Sekota towns and surrounding areas, many of whom had been displaced earlier in 2021. Following the escalation in hostilities, several partners relocated staff out of conflict-affected areas, thereby temporally downscaling relief operations. At the time of writing, partners have started returning to those locations amid improved access. The presence of Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) remains a key access and safety constraint to both IDP returnees and aid workers across conflict-affected areas

In Afar, thousands of people got displaced again due to armed clashes in Yalo and Gulina woredas (Zone 4) as well as in parts of Berhale and Abala woreda (Zone 2). Partners were temporarily unable to reach those in need due to the intensity of the hostilities. The road from Semera to Abala, and onwards to Mekelle was reportedly not impacted by the clashes. Further, river and flash floods led to additional displacements further increasing humanitarian and protection needs as many conflict-affected people did not have access to adequate shelter and WASH services, increasing health risks

Civilians, civilian objects, critical infrastructure, humanitarian workers and assets, must be spared from hostilities and enough precautions should be put in place to mitigate any risk of collateral damage. Affected people should be provided with assistance and protection and humanitarian organizations should be supported in obtaining access to the affected population at all times, with humanitarians receiving all necessary facilitations to carry out their mission, including guarantees for their safety and security.

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