The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus, harshly criticized this Monday the recent attacks against two displaced persons camps in the unstable Ethiopian regions of Amhara and Tigray, which have caused, according to local sources, around 30 civilian deaths.
The top official of the WHO warns that this type of aggression "has become, tragically, a frequent occurrence throughout the country," especially in the north, scene of a prolonged confrontation between the Ethiopian Army and its allies against the regional Tigray militias; a war that, between 2020 and 2022, left between 100,000 and 600,000 dead, according to estimates by the Ethiopian Government and the African Union.
On October 29, at least 16 civilians lost their lives and another 22 were injured when a drone bombed the internally displaced persons camp Amhara. Among the victims were women, minors, and elderly people, including an eight-year-old girl, three pregnant women, and several students, according to testimonies from camp residents collected by the newspaper "Addis Standard".
The settlement was struck at least five times while the displaced people remained inside their shelters. More than a score of family homes burned, leaving many families without shelter or belongings.
The following day, October 30, at least 12 civilians died when another unmanned aircraft attacked a group of people who had gathered to collect sorghum scattered from a grain truck previously destroyed by a drone attack in the city of Rama, in central Tigray, also according to the same medium.
In this scenario, Dr. Tedros warns that "the violence in northern Ethiopia is bringing an already fragile health system to the brink of collapse," given that "ambulance services are severely limited" and "insecurity hinders the delivery of vital medical supplies in some areas".
"It is necessary to protect the civilian population. Health personnel and humanitarian supplies must be allowed to reach those who need them. The bravest choose peace. The best medicine is peace," he concluded.