Ethiopia: UN Condemns Killing of Aid Worker in Amhara – Calls for Protection of Aid Personnel

Addis Abeba- The United Nations has condemned the killing of Mahelet Sitotaw Abera, a humanitarian worker who, according to the UN, was fatally wounded “during a crossfire between government forces and non-state armed groups” on 20 June in Angot District, North Wollo Zone of the Amhara Region.

In a statement issued on 26 June, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Ethiopia ad interim, Abibatou Wane-Fall, said Mahelet was “on duty supporting humanitarian data collection” at the time of the incident. She was working with the local non-governmental organization, the Organization for Rehabilitation and Development in Amhara (ORDA), according to the statement.

Wane-Fall stated that Mahelet was “critically injured” at approximately 10:00 a.m. and was “quickly transported to Weldiya for urgent medical care,” but “succumbed to her injuries later that afternoon.”

According to the UN, this marks the first reported death of a humanitarian worker on duty in Ethiopia in 2025. The agency also noted that “of 10 aid workers killed across Ethiopia in 2024, eight were in the Amhara Region.”

Wane-Fall extended her condolences to the victim’s family and colleagues, stating, “My deepest sympathies go to the family of the deceased and the entire humanitarian community in Ethiopia.” She emphasized that “all feasible measures must be taken to protect civilians and those delivering critical humanitarian assistance to people in need.”

She also called for the respect of humanitarian principles, underscoring that “the Humanitarian Code of Conduct must also be respected by all stakeholders to ensure the safety and security of aid workers, operations, and the affected communities.”

The killing of Mahelet follows a pattern of violence against aid workers in Amhara and other regions. In August 2024, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported the death of Yared Melese, a nutrition officer with the Action for Social Development and Environmental Protection Organization (ASDEPO), who was abducted for ransom and killed by an unidentified armed group in Dawunt District, also in North Wollo Zone.

OCHA stated at the time that Yared’s death brought the number of aid workers killed in Ethiopia in 2024 to eight, with six of those deaths occurring in the Amhara Region. The agency also reported at least 14 cases of ransom-related kidnappings of aid workers that year, particularly in Central and North Gondar zones.

In a February 2024 report, OCHA revealed that 46 humanitarian workers had been killed in Ethiopia since 2019, with 36 of those deaths “directly linked to conflicts in northern Ethiopia.” The organization called for thorough investigations, stating it had “engaged with respective government institutions regarding the speedy investigation and the necessary process to bring perpetrators of these and previously committed crimes to justice.”

By Addis Standard.