#Ethiopia: #UN cautions half a million displaced civilians sheltered in #Amhara region face ‘acute shortage’ of humanitarian supplies

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) says over 500,000 displaced civilians in Amhara region are facing “acute shortages” of food, shelter, water, healthcare, and protection. Most live within host communities, while makeshift camps like Debre Berhan and Jara shelter over 30,000 people combined under worsening conditions.

More than 88,000 people have been displaced from western Oromia alone since 2021. Many now live in overcrowded sites like China camp, where 900 people have been confined to a warehouse for over three years. Aid deliveries remain erratic and insufficient. “Food distributions are irregular,” the UN cautions, with some IDPs receiving aid only every few months.

Addis Standard’s repeatedly reported the appalling conditions in various IDP sites in Amhara region, including in Debre Berhan and Jara, where residents described “sleeping on tarpaulins” and receiving just 15kg of flour after months of delay. Despite government-led announcements of efforts of resettlement, many IDPs have remained trapped to camps.
The UN now cautions that the prolonged crisis, coupled with underfunded response, risks triggering deeper humanitarian crisis.

https://addisstandard.com/?p=51417

40 Years After Live Aid, It’s Still Personal for Bob Geldof

On Oct. 23, 1984, Bob Geldof, the lead singer of the Irish rock band the Boomtown Rats, sat down at home in London to watch the evening news. It changed his life — and saved the lives of millions more.

The BBC ran a report on what it called a “biblical famine” in Ethiopia caused by drought and exacerbated by civil war. Searing images of emaciated and naked children were beamed for the first time into homes across Britain, and then around the world.

Geldof was incensed and horrified. How could this be happening in the 20th century? And what could he — an angry pop star — do about it?
On Sunday, it’s 40 years since Live Aid, two epic concerts held in London and Philadelphia that he helped organize in response to that question. They were arguably the most successful charity events in history, and have a claim to be among the best gigs ever, too.

Geldof persuaded many of the world’s most top artists at the time to play for free, including Queen, David Bowie, Madonna, the Who, Elton John, Tina Turner and Paul McCartney. The shows were seen by about 1.5 billion people in more than 150 countries and would go on to raise more than $140 million.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/13/arts/music/live-aid-bob-geldof-anniversary.html

News: #Ethiopia-based anti-#Eritrea political, insurgent group holds public meeting in #Semera, calls for self-determination of #Afar people

The Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization (RSADO), an Ethiopian-based political and insurgent group opposing Eritrea’s ruling regime, held a public conference in Semera-Logia city, the capital city of Afar Region, on 13 July.

The “Red Sea Afar People’s General Conference,” organized with support from affiliated youth, women, and civic associations, concluded with RSADO renewing its commitment to what it described as a “political and military struggle” against the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) regime in Eritrea. The group vowed to continue its efforts until the Red Sea Afar people’s right to self-determination, including the option of secession, is secured.

The event took place amid heightened tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea, with RSADO warning that current escalations risk turning Afar-inhabited border areas into active conflict zones, displacing civilians and worsening an already fragile humanitarian situation.

In 2023 Addis Standard reported that the Eritrean Afar National Congress urged the Ethiopia government to support their territorial claims. The was shortly after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed floated the idea of gaining access to the Red Sea.

The role of Afar people, who straddle the borders of Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Djibouti, is since being widely discussed.


https://addisstandard.com/?p=51421

What’s behind the mass arrests of #Ethiopian doctors?

An underground, online collective of doctors known as the Ethiopian Health Professionals Movement (EHPM) launched the strike following the Ethiopian government’s refusal to address a list of twelve grievances related to poor pay, exploitative working conditions, and safety concerns by a May 19 deadline.

Doctors were hauled to court on trumped-up charges that included collaborating with foreign forces to “wreak havoc” in Ethiopia.

Dr. Daniel was the 149th arrest of a medical professional in Ethiopia since May, according to an online database set up by the EHPM. Among those charged is Dr. Mahlet Guesh, a pathologist. She was detained on May 19, days after giving an interview to the BBC, in which she explained that the monthly salary of pathologists in the breakaway region of Somaliland equalled the combined wages of twenty Ethiopian MDs. She spent just over three weeks behind bars.

Throughout the strike, the EHPM’s social media pages posted updates and documented police intimidation for hundreds of thousands of followers.

Dr. Emebet (a pseudonym for safety reasons), a movement coordinator, told Global Voices that the labor strike was a spontaneous uprising.

https://globalvoices.org/2025/07/15/whats-behind-the-mass-arrests-of-ethiopian-doctors/

#Egypt praises Donald Trump's offer to solve #Ethiopia Nile row, fears quid pro quo

Egyptian observers have welcomed remarks made by #US President Donald Trump about his desire to broker a negotiated settlement of the dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia over the latter's construction of a massive dam on the Blue Nile, the main tributary of the Nile River, Egypt's principal source of freshwater.

Speaking during a meeting at the White House with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Monday, the US president emphasised the importance of the Nile River's water for Egypt.

"I think if I am Egypt, I want to have water in the Nile, and we are working on that," President Trump said.

In late June, he claimed that previous administrations had financed the Ethiopian dam project, criticising it for blocking the flow of the Nile River's waters to Egypt.

https://www.newarab.com/news/egypt-praises-trump-ethiopia-nile-row-offer-fears-quid-pro-quo

'Soldiers found us and told us to undress': In #Ethiopia, silence surrounds #Tigray war's mass rapes

During the war in Tigray, in Ethiopia, 120,000 women were victims of rape. More than two and a half years since the end of the conflict, many survivors are still trying to overcome their trauma, with justice yet to be served.

Nigist pulled out three beige linen patterns from a black plastic bag. Smiling broadly, she settled in front of a sewing machine. Her foot pressed the pedal, driving the needle to trace a white thread. "This is a skirt for a child. Just a few more hours of work, and it will be finished," she said, never taking her eyes off the small metal tip. The 17-year-old hails from western Tigray, a region of Ethiopia that rebelled against the central government. One morning in June 2023, she passed through the black gate of the Hiwyet center, whose name means "healing" in Tigrinya. "I had been on the road for months," she recounted with difficulty. "When I arrived, I was almost unable to speak, because of what happened to me along the way."

When armed men invaded her village in the Kafta Humera area of eastern Tigray, Nigist fled with other teenage girls. "We hid in a small wood, but soldiers found us. They told us to undress, but I resisted, I didn't want to. That's when they started hitting me, tearing off my clothes. I was raped by several of them. Then I fainted."
A few hours later, villagers took care of Nigist. "I washed myself in the river and they gave me clothes, because I had nothing left," she explained. "Then I fled to Mekele, and it was in the camp for displaced people that I heard about the Hiwyet center."

https://www.lemonde.fr/en/le-monde-africa/article/2025/07/16/soldiers-found-us-and-told-us-to-undress-in-ethiopia-silence-surrounds-tigray-war-s-mass-rapes_6743416_124.html

Analysis: #IMF cautions #Ethiopia’s economic reform faces headwinds amid falling aid and security risks

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has cautioned that Ethiopia’s $3.4 billion reform program is under increasing threat due to declining foreign aid, fragile security conditions, and renewed pressures in the parallel currency market.

Despite commending the government for tough reforms, including subsidy cuts, tax restructuring, and tighter monetary policy, the IMF stressed that “downside risks remain elevated,” citing weak exports, stalled privatization, and falling foreign direct investment.

“The outlook remains subject to downside risks given security challenges and declining donor support,” said Deputy Managing Director Nigel Clarke.

The IMF flagged serious humanitarian implications tied to shrinking donor assistance, noting foreign aid has dropped from 12% of GDP a decade ago to below 4%.
With one in five Ethiopians expected to need humanitarian assistance in 2025 and the UN response plan underfunded, the IMF called for stronger shock-response systems.

On macroeconomic stability, the IMF pointed to persistent distortions in the foreign exchange market and a weak export base as key vulnerabilities. It also raised concerns about debt sustainability, warning that “policy slippages or delays in reform implementation in response to social pressures” could derail recovery efforts.

While Ethiopian officials remain optimistic, projecting 8.4% growth in 2024/25 and improved performance in key sectors, the IMF urged continued reforms and targeted safety nets to protect vulnerable populations and stabilize the economy.
https://addisstandard.com/imf-cautions-ethiopias-economic-reform-faces-headwinds-amid-falling-aid-security-risks/

#Ethiopian Militias Raid #Sudan Border Villages: Farmers,Activists

Sudanese farmers and activists said Monday that Ethiopian militias had conducted cross-border raids on agricultural villages, disrupting the sowing season in a country already at war and suffering a dire hunger crisis.

For decades, both Ethiopia and its neighbor, Sudan, have claimed the fertile border region of Al-Fashaga, and in recent days, several villages in the contested area have come under attack.

Farmers told AFP that militias entered villages along the border, opened fire with automatic weapons, and looted livestock and farming equipment before retreating back into Ethiopian territory.

“They attacked us yesterday (Sunday) while we were working in the fields,” said a 29-year-old farmer from Wad Kouli, a village about 11 kilometers (7 miles) from the Ethiopian border.

https://thedefensepost.com/2025/07/16/ethiopian-militias-sudan-border/

Over eight killed, including three children, in 'brutal attack' allegedly carried out by Fano militants in Central Gondar

More than eight people, including three children, were killed, and six others were abducted in an attack allegedly carried out by “Fano militants.” According to residents and officials from the Chilga district, the attack took place on Monday, July 14, in Godo Kebele, Chilga district, Central Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region. Several homes were reportedly set on fire by the attackers.

A resident, who asked not to be named for their safety, told Addis Standard that the attack took place Monday, starting around 6:00 AM and continuing until about 10:00 AM. The resident blamed “Fano militants” for the attack, stating that eight people were killed. The resident said the attackers came from the neighboring Sharda Kebele and described the incident as “horrific.”

The Chilga District Administration Council issued a statement Monday confirming the incident and attributing the attack to “extremist groups organized under the guise of Fano, who do not represent the Amhara people.” The district council stated that the assailants carried out “brutal killings of innocent farmers, vulnerable elderly, and children, as well as looting of property.”

https://addisstandard.com/?p=51435

#News_Analysis: First major sign of #ISIS in #Ethiopia as intelligence claims capturing 82 alleged operatives trained in #Puntland

Ethiopia’s National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) says it has arrested 82 individuals accused of being affiliated with ISIS, marking the country’s most significant admission yet of the extremist group’s presence within its borders.

The suspects, many allegedly trained in Puntland, Somalia, were detained in a sweeping security operation across several cities and towns in various regional states including #Oromia, #Amhara, #Somali, and the capital #Addis_Abeba.

NISS claims the individuals were working to establish sleeper cells, coordinate attacks, and disseminate extremist propaganda, with some linked to ISIS’s global media and financing networks.

In April, Army Chief of Staff Field Marshal Birhanu Jula told members of parliament that Ethiopian “traitors” were collaborating with terrorist groups like ISIS and al-Shabaab but declined to provide further details.

NISS’s announcement yesterday coincided with the designation by the U.S.-led Terrorist Financing Targeting Center (TFTC) of three ISIS facilitators operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Somalia, and South Africa.

If confirmed, NISS’s latest claims, combined with past Al-Shabaab incursions and convictions of dozens of operatives in Ethiopia, signal a new phase in its internal security dynamics.

While ISIS activity had largely been considered external, the NISS announcement suggests an expanded and potentially entrenched network on Ethiopian soil, raising concerns about border vulnerabilities, and the dual threat posed by both ISIS and Al-Shabaab to national and regional stability.

https://addisstandard.com/?p=51450

#Israel attacks #Syria’s #Damascus amid fighting in Suwayda

The Israeli military has launched airstrikes targeting the Syrian Defense Ministry in Damascus, as well as an area near the presidential palace.

According to Syria’s state news agency SANA, which cited the Health Ministry, the attacks killed one person and wounded 18 others.

The strikes came just hours after Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned the Syrian government to withdraw from Suwayda, where intense fighting has recently broken out with members of Syria’s Druze minority.

Following the strikes, Katz shared a video of a Syrian news presenter taking cover after a massive explosion erupted behind her, captioning it, “The heavy blows have started.”

Ammar Kahf, executive director of Omran Center for Strategic Studies, says Israel is seeking to cause “havoc and chaos” in Syria to destabilize the new government after its major bombardment.

https://aje.io/oy4iku

News: Six IDPs die of cholera in Fentale, Oromia, as humanitarian crisis deepens; zonal health official denies fatalities

Six internally displaced people (IDPs) have died of cholera in the Banti and Ilala kebeles of the Fentale district, East Shewa Zone of the Oromia region, amid a growing humanitarian crisis. The district official blamed the deaths on a critical shortage of clean drinking water and warned of a sharp decline in humanitarian assistance reaching the area. However, zonal officials refuted the casualties while confirming the cholera outbreak in the area with 150 recorded cases.

Mohammed Asabot, Deputy District Administrator and Head of the Agriculture Office in Fentale, told Addis Standard that the six deceased had been residing in Banti and Ilala kebeles after being displaced by a series of earth tremors. He said they fell ill after consuming rainwater collected during the recent rainy season, due to the absence of clean drinking water. Three of the victims were from Banti Kebele, while the remaining three were from Ilala Kebele.

Jima Fentale, one of the displaced persons currently living in Ilala Kebele, said he and others who fled from the slopes of Mount Fentale are now sheltering along the asphalt road between Metehara and Addis Abeba. He said they are exposed to the scorching sun and nighttime cold, while livestock have died from ashes rising from the mountain. Jima confirmed to Addis Standard that he is aware of the death of two people in his area due to cholera.

https://addisstandard.com/?p=51457

A look at #Eritrea's role as new #Tigray war looms in #Ethiopia

Reports of troop movements and sporadic clashes in northern Ethiopia have emerged in recent months, feeding concern that a fragile calm could soon collapse. The region is still reeling from the brutal two-year civil war between the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and federal government forces — a conflict that claimed an estimated 600,000 lives before it ended with the Pretoria peace agreement in November 2022.

"We can't plan anything at the moment," a woman in Mekele, the capital of Ethiopia's Tigray region, told DW. "We're just trying to survive. A new war could break out tomorrow." She described a climate of fear that has gripped many residents. "Life has become incredibly expensive. We need a peaceful solution so we can return to work and rebuild our lives."

During that war, Eritrean troops supported Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's campaign against the TPLF. But critics warned at the time that peace would remain fragile without Eritrea at the negotiating table. President Isaias Afwerki, who has ruled Eritrea for decades, was notably absent from the talks in the South African's administrative capital, Pretoria.

Now, growing fears of renewed violence point towards Eritrea's involvement.

https://www.dw.com/en/a-look-at-eritreas-role-as-new-tigray-war-looms-in-ethiopia/a-73283778

From #AS_Archives:

#Ethiopia’s Currency Market: A fragile convergence and the path to stability

“Structural flaws, not just speculation, are driving Ethiopia’s parallel currency market,” cautioned economist Abraham Abebe Asfaw (PhD), writing for Addis Standard in September 2024.

His analysis from a year ago echoes warnings issued by the IMF on 15 July, which flagged “a resurgent parallel currency market” as a threat to Ethiopia’s economic reform efforts.

Abraham explained that despite sourcing foreign currency from exporters and remitters at official rates, banks “are failing to meet demand,” often imposing burdensome conditions or refusing to sell altogether, fueling the public’s reliance on the parallel market.

He looked in to the scale and structure of the parallel market, particularly the remittance sector, where an estimated $5 billion annually bypasses the official system. “Remitters are price takers in a competitive, fragmented market dominated by diaspora intermediaries,” he noted, contrasting this with the profit-seeking, oligopolistic behavior of banks. However, entrenched habits and convenience mean that many remitters stick with unofficial channels, even if official rates become more attractive, a behavioral inertia the government has yet to overcome.

To tackle this, the writer urged the National Bank of Ethiopia to move beyond ineffective crackdowns and weak patriotic appeals. He proposes two solutions: first, invest in diaspora-focused tech and incentive schemes to reroute remittances officially; second, lower the $500,000 capital threshold so smaller diaspora intermediaries can enter the formal forex market.

“Bringing these actors into the official system will break the banks’ pricing power, expand supply, and help stabilize the birr,” Abraham concluded, reinforcing the IMF’s message that currency market reform was urgent and essential.

https://addisstandard.com/ethiopias-currency-market-a-fragile-convergence-and-the-path-to-stability

Sudden eruption produces dense ash plume at #Erta_Ale volcano, #Ethiopia

A sudden eruptive event at Erta Ale volcano in Ethiopia’s Danakil Depression released a short-lived ash plume early on July 15, breaking a months-long pattern of quiet lava activity.

The event was captured on video by Idris Hummed, a local observer, who filmed a dark column of ash rising from the summit crater.

Field volcanologist Luca Lupi, author of a geological guide to the Danakil region, offered a technical explanation. Commenting on the video, he said the event likely resulted from a collapse of the solidified crust covering the summit lava lake, triggered by either the opening of a lateral vent or the formation of a subsurface dike.

This behavior aligns with previous transitions between effusive and ash-producing phases at Erta Ale, where structural changes in the vent system lead to sudden degassing and surface disruption. The Global Volcanism Program currently lists Erta Ale’s ongoing eruption as involving both effusive and ash-emitting phases.

https://watchers.news/2025/07/15/erta-ale-volcano-eruption-dense-ash-emission-ethiopia-july-2025/