ICRC Impact in Ethiopia: January - June 2024 Bulletin
During the first half of 2024, people in areas affected by armed conflict and violence in the country continued to struggle to meet their basic needs despite humanitarian intervention to alleviate their suffering.
In response, we have sustained our neutral, impartial, and independent humanitarian activities to protect and assist people affected by conflict and violence. To address the most urgent needs of affected people, we have maintained our countrywide approach in Tigray, Amhara, Oromia, Somali, and Afar regions. Our efforts in all these regions are strengthened by working in close coordination with the Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS), our principal partner as part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
We have also maintained contact with the parties to the conflict and other actors to garner acceptance and support for our humanitarian mission. Our constructive dialogue with the parties is based on the needs and vulnerabilities of persons affected by conflict and seeks to uphold international humanitarian law. It focuses on humanitarian issues of concern, advocating for the protection of affected people and delivering much-needed assistance to alleviate their suffering in accordance with our principles of humanity, impartiality, and neutrality.
In 2024, we sustained our efforts to protect and assist people still affected by the legacy of the armed conflict in Tigray region despite the cessation of hostilities agreement signed in November 2022 that put an end to the fighting. In Amhara region, which was under the State of Emergency, we have maintained our activities to provide emergency medical and other aid to people affected by the conflict that commenced in August 2023.
Our dialogue and training on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and International Human Rights Law (IHRL) aim to enhance the understanding and respect of these laws among the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF), police, militias, and other armed groups. These efforts are focused on protecting civilians and ensuring the safety of medical personnel, facilities, and transport.
In this bulletin, we also highlight our efforts to train health extension workers, equipping them to deliver essential pre-and post-natal care to mothers in remote, conflict-affected areas. Additionally, we showcase our work supporting people with disabilities in rural areas, helping them regain mobility and reintegrate into their communities, and much more.
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