Madar (Addis Ababa) - World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday, November 2, 2026, called for greater protection for civilians caught in conflict in northern Ethiopia following deadly drone strikes over the weekend, UN News reported.
"Reports of attacks on civilians in Ethiopia's Amhara and Tigray regions are deeply disturbing," Tedros wrote on social media, adding that children, including a newborn, were among the fatalities at a displacement camp in Amhara. In a separate strike in the town of Rama in Tigray, several people were reportedly killed while trying to get food, according to UN News.
Fighting between Ethiopian government forces and rebel groups resumed in September in Tigray, Amhara and Afar, nearly four years after a peace deal. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned of the risk of escalation and wider destabilization, and in a statement by his spokesperson urged the parties to spare civilians and critical infrastructure, agree without delay to a cessation of hostilities and engage in good faith with mediation efforts.
"The violence in northern Ethiopia is pushing an already fragile health system closer to collapse," Tedros said. Hospitals face shortages of health workers, medicines and equipment, ambulance services are severely limited, and insecurity is obstructing the delivery of life-saving medical supplies to some areas.
WHO and partners "are working around the clock" to deliver additional medical supplies to all affected regions, he said, warning that more people are likely to lose access to emergency services, maternal and child care and disease treatment as fighting continues. "The most courageous choose peace," he said. "The best medicine is peace."
