By ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – An Ethiopian humanitarian worker who was abducted in the volatile Amhara region has been killed, according to aid organizations and a statement from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Wednesday.
The worker, Yared Melese, had been kidnapped for ransom and later murdered by an unidentified armed group in the Dawunt Woreda of the North Wollo Zone, Amhara.
In an official statement, OCHA revealed that Melese, who was working as a nutrition officer for the Action for Social Development and Environmental Protection Organization, was taken hostage on July 22. His death was confirmed on August 9.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the kidnapping for ransom and subsequent killing of our colleague, Mr. Yared Melese, by criminals, whilst he was serving in the line of duty,” said Ramiz Alakbarov, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Ethiopia, in an emailed message to VOA’s Horn of Africa Service. “Yared was a brave and dedicated humanitarian worker who was ready to assist civilians in need under extremely challenging circumstances. Any attack, threat, looting, or extortion demands are unacceptable breaches of our Code of Conduct.”
Melese’s death highlights the growing dangers faced by humanitarian workers in Ethiopia’s increasingly unstable regions, particularly as armed groups clash with government forces.
The surge in violence has led to a troubling increase in kidnappings and attacks targeting aid workers, who are often on the frontlines delivering assistance to vulnerable communities in conflict-affected areas.
OCHA reported that Melese’s death marked the eighth killing of a humanitarian worker in Ethiopia so far in 2024, with six of those deaths occurring in the Amhara region alone. Additionally, OCHA stated that 14 other aid workers have been kidnapped across Ethiopia this year.
The local Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations Council expressed grave concerns over the escalation in targeted attacks against aid workers, particularly in the Amhara, Oromia, and other regions where conflict has intensified. “We have received multiple reports of a surge in attacks targeting humanitarian workers in the Amhara, Oromia, and other regions,” the council said in a statement on Wednesday.
The growing unrest in the Amhara region is rooted in clashes between federal government forces and the Amhara Fano armed group, a conflict that has been fueled by the government’s efforts to disarm regional paramilitary forces and integrate them into the federal security apparatus. The resulting violence has exacerbated the already dire humanitarian situation in the region, where aid organizations are struggling to deliver vital services amid the constant threat of attack.
Tensions have been high in Amhara for over a year, following the government’s decision to disarm regional paramilitaries. The move was met with strong resistance from armed factions like the Fano militia, leading to widespread violence and the disruption of humanitarian operations in affected areas.
While there has been no official reaction from Ethiopia’s federal government or authorities in the Amhara region regarding Melese’s killing, the international aid community continues to call for increased protection for humanitarian workers who risk their lives to provide essential services to those in need.
VOA report
