Ethiopia: Raising awareness about weapon contamination among schoolchildren in Oromia
The ICRC has intensified its efforts to protect children from the dangers of explosive ordnance in conflict-affected areas of Ethiopia. While broad efforts continue to be deployed in Tigray, other regions require similar action, particularly where active hostilities are ongoing. This is notably the case of western Oromia.
2,000 schoolchildren reached in a hard-hit area
In the Anfilo and Gidami woredas of Kellem Wellega, our teams visited schools that have been severely impacted by conflict, including grenade use and crossfire.
The Director at Ashi Elementary School explains: “Some of the classrooms were used to store weapons. We are scared to open them, not knowing what could explode…” These schools have been occupied by arms carriers and bear the scars of violence. Infrastructure is damaged and explosive remnants are scattered throughout the premises.
The ICRC’s intervention reached over 2,000 schoolchildren. We raised their awareness about the dangers of explosive ordnances through gripping and child-friendly sessions. Some of the children had already encountered unexploded ordnance. All of them learned about vital safe behaviors and practices to protect themselves and their friends.
Distribution of Posters and Leaflets in Afan Oromo with Illustrations regarding Safe Behavior.
Using bullets as whistles
A young student, Girma (name changed) shared how he and his peers had been playing with bullets, unaware of the risk: “When we find bullets, we use them as whistles. We put them in our mouths and try to make sounds with them”. After the session, he would never do that again.
Such cases highlight the urgent need for ongoing awareness raising, particularly in schools where children are most vulnerable. Best practices include not getting close to the suspected item, not touching any explosive remnant, not dumping the item into a hole or toilet, and alerting adults.
We also distributed leaflets to the schoolteachers, to ensure that the safe behavior messages would continue to resonate beyond our visit.
Elementary schools across Anfilo and Gidami Woredas of Kellem Wellega bear similar scars of the armed conflict in Oromia.
Dialogue to help protect children
As it does in other regions affected by armed hostilities, in western Oromia the ICRC engages in a dialogue with weapon bearers to mitigate the impact of the fighting on children and other vulnerable civilians.
The ICRC advocates for the protection of civilian infrastructure, including schools, reminding weapon bearers that schools must remain safe spaces for learning, free from the threat of explosive hazards.
