UN reports worsening malnutrition in parts of Amhara region as renewed fighting disrupts aid

Addis Abeba– The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says the humanitarian situation across the broader Amhara Region remains dire, as “growing numbers of people need urgent food assistance” despite recent improvements in aid access, particularly in eastern part of Amhara.

In its latest update, OCHA stated that “movement and access restrictions” throughout 2024 had “affected humanitarian operations,” leaving conflict-affected populations with “limited access to basic services like health care, education, and clean water.” The Amhara Disaster Risk Management Commission identified Bugna district in April 2024 as “severely food insecure” due to a combination of “conflict, drought, floods, and snowstorms,” OCHA said.

Addis Standard previously reported, citing the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), that access restrictions imposed by “local militia” in Bugna and Lasta districts had deepened the humanitarian crisis for 77,000 people, including 10,000 displaced.

OCHA reported that an “access breakthrough” in December 2024 reopened the road to Bugna after “months of restricted movement,” allowing aid efforts to expand. The agency said UNICEF provided “treatment for severe acute malnutrition,” while the Ethiopian Red Cross Society resumed ambulance services and distributed “ad hoc food supplies.” WHO and WFP, OCHA noted, delivered “medical and nutrition supplies,” with local organizations supporting “deliveries to remote areas.”

OCHA also reported that “major progress” was made in Raya Kobo district in March 2025, allowing humanitarian actors to reach “health centers in need of assistance.” Two facilities received “long-awaited nutrition supplies,” though OCHA described them as “limited,” adding that additional support is expected.

However, OCHA warned that many areas remain inaccessible, restricting aid distribution. Districts such as Tach Gayint in South Gondar, Mehal Sayint in South Wello, Wemberma in West Gojam, and Dewa Chefa in the Oromo Special Zone are categorized as hard-to-reach.

OCHA also cautioned that the overall situation remains critical, particularly in North Wello, South Wello, North Gondar, South Gondar, and Wag Hamra, where it warned that “malnutrition is worsening.” Some districts were initially classified as lower priority, but OCHA stated that “the number of people in need of urgent food assistance is growing rapidly.” It also noted that “screening coverage is very low,” suggesting that “the true scale of the crisis may be even worse.”

While OCHA indicated that this year’s harvest is expected to be “better than last year’s,” it also reported that “food markets remain under strain,” with “rising prices and reduced availability of essential goods.” The agency further cited “challenges in the implementation of the Productive Safety Net Program” and “reductions in external funding” as factors that have left many without “regular food support.”

Additionally, OCHA said “limited nutrition funding, a reduced humanitarian presence, security concerns, and ongoing access challenges” continue to impact response efforts, with reports of “intensified conflict in recent weeks” further complicating aid operations.

The report from OCHA comes amid renewed fighting in the restive Amhara region under the name “Unity Campaign,” the latest escalation since the militarized conflict began in the summer of 2023, claiming civilian lives and displacing many.

The Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) claimed it had “thwarted and destroyed” the assaults, which it said were “encouraged and coordinated” by Brigadier General Migbe Haile, a senior Tigrayan military figure, and reported inflicting “heavy defeats” on Fano forces in several regions, including South Gondar, North Wollo, and Gojjam.

Despite repeated assertions of “decisive victory” by federal forces, the conflict has led to worsening humanitarian crises compounded by mass killings , displacements, food shortages, and disruptions to essential services.

Recently, regional state officials appealed to the international community for $10 billion in recovery aid despite the ongoing conflict. AS

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