ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (KAAB TV) – Rural areas in northern Ethiopia, once ravaged by heavy fighting, remain contaminated with unexploded ordnance (UXO), posing a significant threat to civilians.
Ethiopia descended into a full-scale civil war in 2020 when government forces, backed by Eritrea, clashed with ethnic Tigrayan forces.
The conflict claimed an estimated 500,000 lives.
A new conflict is now unfolding in the Amhara region, where government forces are battling ethnic Amhara fighters known as FANO.
Humanitarian groups, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), warn that the widespread presence of explosive remnants is a major risk to the civilian population.
“We have served 243 UXO victims, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. Many others are beyond our reach. Around 80 percent of the victims we’ve assisted are children,” said Venkatakannan Packirisamy, who manages the ICRC’s physical rehabilitation program in Ethiopia.
The ICRC program offers mobility devices and rehabilitation services to people with disabilities, especially in conflict-affected regions.
Millions of people live and work in areas littered with unexploded ordnance, which hampers daily life, disrupts education, and limits access to essential resources like agricultural land and water.
“She’s traumatized by what happened,” said Tabir Gebreyohannes, whose eight-year-old daughter was injured by an unexploded device.
“She won’t go far when she walks around because she’s afraid of another explosion. We’re constantly worried that one of the children might pick up or step on something dangerous.”
Weapon contamination also exacerbates food insecurity in areas already suffering from malnutrition, especially among new mothers and young children.
The ICRC and the Ethiopian Red Cross Society are working with local communities to raise awareness and reduce risks, but they stress the need for urgent clearance efforts.
ICRC calls on authorities and international actors to prioritize the removal of unexploded ordnance, a challenging task, particularly in conflict zones.
“Protecting civilians from the indiscriminate harm caused by these weapons must be a top priority,” ICRC said.