A high-level meeting involving regional leaders and international partners
Addis Abeba – High lever regional officials from Ethiopia’s war-torn Amhara regional state are seeking $10 billion in recovery funding as the region continued to grapple with the devastating impact of the ongoing conflict between government forces and the various factions of the Fano armed groups, drought, and disease outbreaks.
This was disclosed at a high-level meeting involving regional leaders and international partners aimed at assessing humanitarian aid and reconstruction efforts in the region, according to regional state communication bureau.
According to Arega Kebede, President of the Amhara Regional State, the forum is a critical platform to inform the international community about the region’s deteriorating humanitarian situation, ensure the accessibility of much-needed aid, and mobilize resources for reconstructing damaged infrastructure.
The Amhara region has faced multiple crises since August 2023 when the region became the epicenter of a militarized conflict involving government forces armed groups that swept large parts of the regional state. Since then the region has experienced destruction of numerous social and economic institutions in attributable to conflict, resulting in the loss of property valued at over 15 billion birr.
Several reports from Addis Standard have highlighted the worsening humanitarian conditions with mass killings , displacements, food shortages, and disruptions to essential services. The region remains one of Ethiopia’s most affected by internal strife, further complicating efforts to deliver aid and rebuild vital infrastructure.
Despite the continued conflict, regional officials are now calling for enhanced collaboration with international development partners to accelerate humanitarian response efforts.
The regional state media quoted Dr. Tilahun Mehari, head of the regional finance bureau, as saying that over $10 billion USD is required to restore critical infrastructure, which cannot be covered by the current federal budget allocation.
The forum is expected to produce detailed reports on the region’s current status and outline action plans to address both immediate and long-term recovery needs. AS
