Addis Abeba — Ethiopians right to life is in a "critical" state due to the combined effects of ongoing armed conflicts, natural disasters, and a near-total breakdown of public services, according to the latest annual report by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC), released today.
Covering the period from June 2024 to June 2025, the 152-page report documents extensive violations of fundamental rights, including extrajudicial killings, abductions, physical harm, and widespread destruction of property. Civilians, particularly in conflict-affected areas, remain the primary victims of violence perpetrated by government forces, local armed groups, unidentified assailants, and through inter-communal clashes.
In the Amhara region, the report highlights continued abuses amid the armed confrontation between federal forces and the Fano militia. Government forces stand accused of extrajudicial killings and torching homes over alleged affiliations with Fano, while Fano fighters reportedly targeted civil servants, looted homes, and carried out retaliatory attacks on civilians.
The Commission said similar patterns of violence were observed in Oromia, where both government forces and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) were implicated in killings, abductions, and destruction of infrastructure. OLA fighters were accused of stopping public buses headed to Addis Abeba, demanding ransom payments, and executing passengers who could not pay.
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The report also documents violations in Benishangul-Gumuz, Central Ethiopia, and Gambella regions. In East Gurage Zone's Meskan district and Mareko Special Woreda, attacks by armed groups reportedly continued to claim civilian lives. In Gambella, deadly cross-border raids by Murle militants from South Sudan have involved killings, abductions, and robberies, particularly targeting women and children.
Beyond conflict zones, natural disasters - including floods, droughts, and earthquakes - have caused significant displacement, rising food insecurity, and worsening malnutrition.
The EHRC also pointed to a collapse of essential services: more than 7.8 million students nationwide are out of school, with Amhara and Tigray regions reporting some of the highest disruptions.
In the health sector, disease outbreaks and a strike by health professionals over wages and working conditions have deepened the crisis.
The EHRC urged all actors to immediately cease violations and called for independent investigations and prosecutions that meet international standards.
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It further recommended compensation for victims, rehabilitation measures, and a nationwide effort to restore civilians' access to life-saving services and protections.
