Ethiopia’s Amhara region is marking a grim milestone: two years of relentless conflict that have shattered communities, paralyzed services, and pushed millions to the edge of survival.
Clashes between federal forces and the Fano militia have intensified in recent weeks, according to BBC Amharic, deepening a humanitarian emergency that shows no signs of resolution. The violence erupted in April 2023, soon after the Tigray war ended, and has since engulfed much of the region in lawlessness, fear, and despair.
Rights organizations report a disturbing litany of abuses: extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, widespread looting, and the systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure. While the official state of emergency expired in mid-2024, residents and observers say a climate of repression and military control remains entrenched.
“This is not peace—it’s a different kind of war,” said a human rights researcher, speaking to the BBC on condition of anonymity.
A Region in Freefall
Public services in Amhara have all but collapsed. More than 4 million children are out of school, hospitals are overwhelmed or shuttered, and essential medicines are scarce. In just six months, maternal deaths totaled 148, while malaria claimed at least 70 lives.
Reports reviewed by BBC Amharic indicate that nearly 1,000 health facilities have been damaged or looted. Over 1,000 medical workers have either fled or been killed. With ambulances seized by armed groups and insecurity blocking roads, access to emergency care has become a life-or-death gamble.
In one tragic incident, a woman named Bizuwork lost her newborn after being unable to reach a hospital in time. “He was healthy,” she said. “But we were trapped for three days.”
Economic Meltdown
Amid the violence, Amhara’s economy has crumbled. In the once-thriving tourist city of Lalibela, now eerily quiet, residents say income has vanished. “There’s nothing left,” said Estalu Kelemu, head of the local tourist guides association. “We’ve lost everything we built.”
Inflation is soaring. Basic food staples like teff have more than doubled in price. Teachers and civil servants, especially in Fano-controlled areas, have gone unpaid for months. Some are reportedly selling furniture and household goods to afford food. Banking services have stopped functioning in rebel zones, leaving people without access to their own money.
Aid Blocked, Needs Soar
At least 200,000 people urgently need food assistance, yet aid agencies have suspended operations in multiple areas due to the worsening security situation. Religious leaders and aid workers warn that the region is teetering on the brink of collapse.
Root Causes & Political Fallout
Analysts trace the roots of the conflict to unresolved tensions around federalism, power-sharing, and ethnic representation. The Fano militia—once seen as partners during the war against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front—became adversaries after the Pretoria peace accord, when they refused to disarm.
Fano leaders claim they are defending ethnic Amhara communities from existential threats, citing mass killings of Amhara civilians in Oromia and Benishangul over the past decade. The result: a fractured region, split between government-held cities and Fano-dominated rural areas.
Former Amhara regional president Gedu Andargachew offered a dire assessment. “We’re witnessing a generational setback,” he told BBC Amharic. “Amhara is being dismantled in a way that will take decades to rebuild—if it can be rebuilt at all.”
The Human Cost
For millions across the region, daily life is a fight for survival. “We’ve lost our schools, our clinics, our jobs—everything,” said a resident in Merawi. “Now we’re just trying to stay alive.”
With no ceasefire in sight and political reconciliation out of reach, Amhara remains a battlefield—one where the victims are overwhelmingly civilians.
