The humanitarian landscape in northern Ethiopia has suffered a severe setback following the abrupt collapse of the fragile peace agreement established in 2022, international human rights monitors have reported. A renewed wave of hostilities—marked by heavy ground combat and drone strikes between the Ethiopian National Defense Forces and forces led by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) alongside allied groups—has plunged the region back into a mounting crisis.
In response to the sudden spike in casualties, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF / Doctors Without Borders) announced that it swiftly mobilized emergency medical interventions starting September 22. Medical facilities near the frontlines are experiencing unprecedented strain.
In a statement sent to Capital, MSF reported that war-wounded admissions at Korem and Alamata hospitals surged from roughly 180 cases within a 48-hour window to more than 420 patients between September 22 and 25. Concurrently, Suhul Hospital in Shire, located in northwestern Tigray, registered an influx of over 300 trauma patients over the same three-day period.
MSF added that deteriorating security conditions have forced the suspension of operations at Alamata Hospital, as well as critical community-based outreach initiatives. To cope with the crisis, field personnel have been reallocated to reinforce surviving functional hospitals in Shire, Sheraro, and Korem, where teams continue to deliver urgent trauma care alongside essential maternal and child health services.
MSF remains deeply concerned for civilian safety and unimpeded healthcare access amid the escalating violence. Nationally, the organization announced that it continues to sustain primary, secondary, and emergency medical support programs across Oromia, Somali, Amhara, Tigray, Afar, Gambella, and the South West Ethiopia region.
