MSF, Doctors Without Borders, MSF activities in Ethiopia

Ethiopia

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) delivered vital assistance to people affected by conflict, drought, floods and disease outbreaks in seven regions of Ethiopia in 2024.

Insecurity and administrative challenges continued to hamper humanitarian access to over 21 million people in need of assistance across the country in 2024.  

Our activities in 2024 in Ethiopia

Data and information from the International Activity Report 2024.

MSF IN ETHIOPIA IN 2024 Doctors Without Borders (MSF) worked in 10 regions of Ethiopia to deliver healthcare to people through administrative barriers and ongoing insecurity in 2024.
MSF, Doctors Without Borders, MSF activities in Ethiopia
MSF, Doctors Without Borders, Ethiopia, killing of MSF staff
MSF Staff killed in Ethiopia

Brutal killing of our colleagues in Tigray, in June 2021

On 24 June 2021, our colleagues María Hernández Matas, Yohannes Halefom Reda and Tedros Gebremariam Gebremichael were killed while providing life-saving assistance to people in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. No one has claimed responsibility for their killing.

MSF engaged with the Ethiopian authorities for four years, requesting a formal and transparent investigation into their killing. In the absence of such an investigation, we have released our own internal review on what happened to our colleagues that day. This review found that their killing was a targeted, and intentional, attack on clearly identified aid workers. We will continue to honour the memory of María, Yohannes and Tedros, and pursue accountability for their killings.

Read our internal review

In Gambella, we provided essential care at a health centre in Kule refugee camp. This included specialist treatment for malaria, malnutrition, and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and vaccinations, including for malaria.

In Somali region, MSF’s emergency team responded to malnutrition, disease outbreaks, and mass displacement.

In Afar, we ran water and sanitation activities and an inpatient therapeutic feeding unit. We also supported the regional hospital’s paediatric department and a cholera response.

In the South Ethiopia and Southwest Ethiopia Peoples’ regions, we used mobile clinics to deliver care for malaria and measles, as well as kala azar (visceral leishmaniasis).

In Amhara, our teams provided emergency healthcare for people affected by the ongoing conflict, and continued to focus on preventing and treating neglected tropical diseases, such as kala azar and snakebites.

In Tigray, we ran a range of services, including maternal and child healthcare, a nutrition programme, and treatment for SGBV. In addition, our mobile teams worked in hard-to-reach areas and repaired over 600 water pumps. We also rehabilitated several departments in Abiy Adi General hospital.

In Oromia, we responded to a surge in malaria cases at two hospitals, and ran mobile clinics, conducting health promotion and water and sanitation activities, and distributing mosquito nets.

In Korem, we ran mobile clinics and supported the general hospital’s maternal and child health and emergency departments.

MSF continues to call for accountability for the deaths of our colleagues

On 24 June 2021, our colleagues María Hernández Matas, Tedros Gebremariam Gebremichael, and Yohannes Halefom Reda were intentionally killed while clearly identified as humanitarian workers, in Tigray. We continue to pursue accountability for their deaths, with the hope that this will improve the safety of humanitarian workers in Ethiopia.

IN 2024

 
Ethiopia

Ethiopia: “If people don’t understand what we do, they will never come to our health centres”

21 Sep 2017
 
Ethiopia

“MSF brought out the real reason why I chose to become a medic”

Fieldworkers Stories 16 Jun 2017
 
Ethiopia

Ethiopia: New wave of refugees fleeing ongoing violence in South Sudan

Latest News 28 May 2015
 
Cholera

Ethiopia: Refugees attempt to survive in flooded camps

Press Release 5 Sep 2014
 
Cholera

Ethiopia: Thousands of South Sudanese refugees receive cholera vaccine

Press Release 26 Aug 2014
 
Lietchuor permanent camp South Sudanese in Gambella region.
Measles

Ethiopia: Urgent assistance needed for South Sudanese refugees

Press Release 10 Apr 2014