ICRC Delivers Aid and Facilitates Evacuations Amid Renewed Fighting in Northern Ethiopia

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has mobilized emergency relief, medical supplies, and evacuation support across northern Ethiopia following renewed hostilities and armed violence in the Tigray, Amhara, and Afar regions starting in September.

According to the organization, the escalation has intensified humanitarian concerns for populations already facing prolonged displacement and disrupted infrastructure. In Tigray, reports of drone strikes and fighting have threatened civilian safety and basic services, while ongoing armed violence in neighboring Amhara has impacted communities and local healthcare facilities.

Acting as a neutral intermediary, the ICRC reported that it facilitated the evacuation of 161 individuals from Mekelle in Tigray to Semera in the Afar region on September 28. The organization emphasized that the operation depended on dialogue and agreements with all involved parties to secure safe passage.

Medical aid has also been directed to facilities treating the sick and wounded. Between October 13 and 16, the ICRC, in coordination with the Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS), delivered medicines and essential equipment to several hospitals and health centers across Tigray, including Suhul-Shire Hospital, Lemlem Karl Hospital, Mehoni Hospital, Alamata Hospital, Chercher Health Centre, and Ayder Referral Hospital. In total, 33 facilities in Tigray and 32 in Amhara have received ICRC support, alongside the transport of blood supplies and physical rehabilitation assistance.

In Amhara, emergency repairs were conducted on the water supply system in Lalibela to restore access to clean water. Across the affected areas, the ICRC pre-positioned household kits—including 6,000 in Tigray, 2,000 in Amhara, and 2,400 for displaced civilians in Afar—while also distributing cash assistance to affected patients and healthcare workers.

To support broader emergency readiness, the ICRC transferred more than 7 million Ethiopian birr to the ERCS Tigray branch and over 5 million birr to the Amhara branch to fund hygiene materials, ambulance operations, and first-aid supplies.

The ICRC stated that it continues protection operations, including detention visits and efforts to restore contact between separated families, while reminding all combatants of their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians, medical personnel, and humanitarian workers.

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