“Ongoing violence” in Amhara is hampering humanitarian aid in this region of northern Ethiopia, the director of the World Health Organization (WHO) deplored on Sunday, calling for peace and asking for “ access uninterrupted" to the area. The clashes between local fighters and the army in Africa's second most populous country come just nine months after the end of a devastating conflict in neighboring Tigray region, which also involved Amhara fighters. The government of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced on Saturday that it had made arrests linked to "the security crisis in the Amhara region", after having imposed a state of emergency there the day before. “We call for the uninterrupted access and protection of the health system in Amhara so that the WHO and its partners can continue to work there. On Saturday, fighters from the nationalist Amhara Fano militia controlled three major towns in the region, according to residents: Lalibela, Gondar and Dessie.

Source: Ethiopian News August 07, 2023 14:53 UTC