960 health workers killed in 19 countries as conflict zones strain medical systems
Resumed fighting in Ethiopia's Tigray region has left hospitals overwhelmed, while global data shows a sharp rise in casualties among medical staff.
By Aiko Nakamura ·
The collapse of a two-year ceasefire in Ethiopia has pushed a fragile regional health system to the brink. Since September 24, when hostilities reignited between the federal government and Tigrayan rebels, hospitals in the north have struggled to process a surge of war trauma patients.
The conflict has created a logistical nightmare for medical staff. A surgeon in Mekele, the capital of the Tigray region, described the emergency room as flooded with victims of gunfire and drone strikes. He noted that cell networks and electricity failed for nearly eight days, leaving staff without a way to predict patient volume or coordinate care.
"The whole emergency room was flooded with war trauma patients," the surgeon said. "The floors were all filled up, there was no place to step." He and his colleagues operated on both civilians and uniformed fighters, often without knowing the origin of the injured due to severed communication lines.
The strain on local facilities is part of a wider global trend. According to World Health Organization data, attacks on healthcare facilities and workers in 19 countries resulted in more than 960 deaths so far in 2026. Sudan, Lebanon, and Ukraine also recorded hundreds of fatalities in medical settings this year.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organization, stated on social media that the violence in northern Ethiopia is driving an already fragile system closer to collapse. He is Tigrayan and formerly served as Ethiopia's health minister. He reported shortages of workers, medicine, and ambulances across the region.
The current crisis is compounded by earlier economic measures. In May, Tigrayan rebels ousted regional leaders, prompting the federal government to cut funds to the region. This included payments to regional hospitals. Doctors in the area reported months of delayed salaries, leaving a gap in care that has now been exploited by renewed fighting.
Physicians for Human Rights and the Organization for Justice and Accountability in the Horn of Africa released a report in August documenting these conditions. The study surveyed more than 600 health workers in northern Ethiopia between 2020 and 2024. Sixty-three percent of respondents reported attacks on ambulances, while 57 percent witnessed armed groups taking over clinics or hospitals.
Lindsey Green, a researcher at Physicians for Human Rights, explained that these groups often occupied facilities to seize resources or destroy equipment. This pattern of targeting makes healthcare access more difficult and erodes the norm that medical sites are protected during conflict. Green noted that impunity for these violations remains a central issue.
The human cost in Tigray is severe. One health worker in the region counted more than 100 women who died in childbirth over the past year. He attributed these deaths to a lack of medicine, staff, and fuel for ambulances. An independent review from 2022 found that the maternal mortality rate had increased fivefold compared to prewar levels.
Ayoda Werede, a physician with the nonprofit Health Professionals for Tigray, said that while the Ethiopian military has not directly targeted health centers in this latest phase, other groups have stolen supplies. She noted that medication, equipment, and even mattresses have been taken from patient beds. Many doctors have left the country, and the system is stretched beyond capacity.
