Education Under Siege: The State of Education in the Ongoing Amhara War in Ethiopia
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Education Under Siege: The State of Education in the Ongoing Amhara War in Ethiopia
April 10th, 2025
Overview
This report was prepared by the Amhara Association of America (AAA) to provide a high-level overview on the status of education in Amhara Region of Ethiopia amidst nearly 2 years of war in the region. Specifically, the ongoing armed conflict between armed forces allied to the Oromo Prosperity Party (OPP) regime (regime forces) and those of the Amhara Fano self-defense force (Fano) has been followed by widespread disruptions of essential services and provisions for residents of the region. Reports from various other sources have also indicated a pattern of violations of international law by regime forces which has impacted civilians across Amhara Region and surrounding areas.
More than 9 million children in Ethiopia are out of school, primarily due to conflict, violence, natural disasters, and displacement.4 The regions most affected are Amhara (4.4 million), Oromia (3.2 million), and Tigray (1.2 million). Additionally, over 6,000 schools have been forced to close, while more than 10,000 schools—18% of the country’s total— have been damaged by conflict and climate-related events, severely limiting access to safe and functional learning environments. The current report seeks to highlight trends associated with this large-scale crisis.
Based on information gathered from 11 zonal administrations (four sub-regions) in Amhara Region, as a result of the ongoing war in the region, over 5,231 schools (65.1% of available schools) are no longer operational accounting for more than 3.5 million children out of school. The ongoing war has also left 1,390 schools damaged while over 830 schools have been repurposed for military use. It is noteworthy that data from several zonal administrations were unavailable, therefore the actual extent of educational disruptions, impacts on students and related outcomes is greater than those in this report.
