Violence against Healthcare during the War in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Depriving health care through damaging the health facilities' infrastructure, supplies, warehouses, and transport, and targeting the health workforce during war is a serious violation of international humanitarian law. This survey was conducted to assess the damages and service interruptions to the health services in the Amhara region's war zones following the broke out of the war between Ethiopia's central government and the Tigray forces in late 2020.

Methods: The survey was carried out in six zones and one city administration of the Amhara region. Quantitative data on the extent of destruction were collected from 113 accessible hospitals and health centers using a semi-structured checklist. Furthermore, qualitative data were obtained from twenty-one local administrative heads of zonal health departments, district health offices, hospitals, and health centre administrators. The quantitative data were coded, cleaned, and analyzed using SPSS version 24 software. The transcribed qualitative data were translated, coded, and thematically analyzed.

Result: Deliberate destruction of buildings, electrical power supplies, and water sources was noted in 92%, 85%, and 64% of the health facilities respectively. Medical equipment, computers, and other devices were looted from 94% of the health facilities. In addition, 24 ambulances were damaged, and 34 were looted. Healthcare services were disrupted in the majority of health facilities. The healthcare workforces were compelled to evacuate, and experienced kidnappings, torture, and fatalities.

Conclusion: The war broke out in the northern part of Ethiopia deprived the healthcare service of the community. The health workforces were intentionally attacked, and many of the health facilities' infrastructure, ambulances, and medical equipment were looted and destroyed requiring urgent and collective efforts to restore the health service.