As Ethiopia prepares to hold parliamentary and regional elections on Monday, June 1, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) and the Organization for Justice and Accountability in the Horn of Africa (OJAH) warned that the vote is taking place amid growing instability, escalating repression, and ongoing humanitarian and human rights crises across the country. Drone strikes and attacks against civilian infrastructure in Amhara, reports of a health system near collapse due to a lack of supplies and fuel in Tigray, and ongoing conflict-related sexual violence in 2025, as documented by the Special Representative to the UN Secretary General on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence, all signal escalating instability and conflict.
Since 2020, PHR and OJAH have documented conflict-related sexual and reproductive violence, attacks on health, and other human rights violations in conflict-affected regions of Ethiopia, including Amhara, Tigray, Afar, and Oromia.
Days before the election, the National Election Board of Ethiopia announced that 46 of the 176 constituencies across Amhara and Tigray would not be included in the upcoming election. This includes 8 of the 138 constituencies in Amhara and all 38 constituencies in Tigray, in addition to several constituencies in the Oromia region. The exclusion of conflict-affected communities from the electoral process is not an isolated concern, but part of a broader pattern of conflict, marginalization, and repression affecting Tigray, Amhara, Afar, Oromia, and other regions.
“Ethiopia’s elections should not be viewed separately from the country’s deepening human rights and humanitarian crisis,” said Lindsey Green, deputy director of research at Physicians for Human Rights. “As the current government seeks to further consolidate power, communities in conflict-affected regions are being silenced and denied meaningful access to both essential services and political participation.”
PHR and OJAH have received alarming reports from partners working in health facilities in Tigray regarding increasing shortages of vital supplies, including medicine and fuel, due to the federal government withholding dispersal of the region’s federal budget subsidy. These restrictions strain an already stretched health system, with reports from health care partners that everything from emergency surgeries to routine maternal health screening can no longer be performed. Recent reports of forced conscription of youth in Tigray are also indicative of a worsening state of human rights in the region and signal the possibility of a renewed large-scale conflict in the region, if immediate de-escalation measures are not taken.
“While human rights abuses and violations continue to be perpetrated by both state and non-state actors, our monitoring confirms reports of a marked increase in the intimidation, harassment, and arbitrary detention of political party members and journalists by federal and regional government forces in the lead-up to the election,” said a representative from the Organization for Justice and Accountability in the Horn of Africa who must remain anonymous due to security concerns. “Ongoing conflict in parts of Amhara and Oromia, renewed tensions in Tigray, and rising cross-border friction with Eritrea all point to a worsening human rights and humanitarian situation. These developments require urgent attention from the international community before the situation deteriorates further.”
“The lack of accountability for past atrocities and meaningful transitional justice has helped fuel Ethiopia’s current crisis,” Green said. “Without independent, impartial documentation of ongoing violations, the cycle of impunity will continue. Elections cannot be used to obscure the urgent need for truth, accountability, and protection for all communities.”
PHR and OJAH call on the government of Ethiopia to respect and protect the human rights of all people in Ethiopia, end any restrictions that impede access to essential supplies and services, protect health workers and human rights defenders, and ensure that survivors of violations have access to adequate, survivor-centered care and support. PHR and OJAH also urge the international and regional community to press for independent and impartial documentation of ongoing violations, support accountability efforts, and ensure that humanitarian access, health services, and civilian protection are treated as urgent priorities before, during, and after the elections.
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is a New York-based advocacy organization that uses science and medicine to prevent mass atrocities and severe human rights violations. Learn more here.