The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC), in its annual report on the status of social and economic rights from June 2023 to June 2024, has announced that over 5,568 schools have been closed due to conflicts and natural disasters in various parts of Ethiopia.
The Commission has released a 25-page annual report focusing on the state of social and economic rights in the country. In the report, it stated that about 105 schools in the Tigray region are not providing proper services due to the fact that they have been destroyed in the war and are shelters for internally displaced persons. Additionally, schools located in areas where IDPs are located; it has announced the closure of 52 schools in Benishangul Gumuz region, 17 in Afar region, 14 in Amhara region, 11 in Oromia region, 11 in Southwest Ethiopia People’s Region, and 11 in Gambella region.
Moreover, due to the ongoing conflicts and natural disasters in different parts of the country, according to the report, 4178 schools in the Amhara region, 648 in the Tigray region, 420 in the Oromia region, 195 in the Somali region, 50 in the Benishangul Gumuz region, 40 in the Gambella region, 26 in the Afar region, and 8 in the Southwest Ethiopia region have been closed.
The commission stated that there has been a shortage of teachers in the areas where the security situation has not improved because teachers have left the area. It has also disclosed that parents are not sending their children to school due to lack of security, and in some areas, the risk of being raped and robbed has affected education.
The commission added that due to the armed conflict in the Amhara region, in addition to preventing various health institutions from doing their work properly, there is a shortage of medical equipment, medicine, blood, oxygen, and other resources. In the report, EHRC urged the government to take measures to create enabling conditions for students who are out of school to return to school because of the armed conflicts or natural disasters.
The commission requested the government to ensure that the destroyed schools are included in the plan with an adequate budget to rebuild and rehabilitate quickly. On the other hand, it urged the government to provide various solutions, including temporary learning options as well as the supply of necessary educational materials, until the schools start providing regular services.
In addition, the commission has given its recommendation to repair the school infrastructures destroyed due to armed conflict and to facilitate the implementation of services to ensure social and economic rights in a better way.
Table 1: The number of schools closed due to ongoing conflicts and natural disasters in Ethiopia from June 2023 to June 2024
| Region | Number of closed Schools |
| Amhara | 4178 schools |
| Tigray | 648 schools |
| Oromia | 420 schools |
| Somali | 195 schools |
| Benishangul Gumuz | 50 schools |
| Gambella | 40 schools |
| Afar | 26 schools |
| Southwest Ethiopia | 8 schools |