AGP Executive Report

Emergency Preparedness: Eritrea joined a five-day regional training in Malawi to help health workers maintain sexual and reproductive care during disasters, including maternal and newborn services, contraception and HIV care. Conflict and Care: Renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia is disrupting healthcare near Eritrea’s border. Residents report sick people in Adigrat going without treatment, while Adwa Hospital was reportedly looted after government forces entered the town. Refugee Health: UNHCR says funding cuts are straining services worldwide; in Ethiopia, registration has stopped for tens of thousands of people arriving from Eritrea, while specialized medical and psychological care for survivors of sexual violence in Sudan is at risk. Workplace Safety: A seminar in Assab focused on occupational health and safety for Marine Products Corporation workers and employers.

Refugee Health: UNHCR chief Barham Salih says the agency has received just $3 billion of the $8.5 billion needed this year. In Ethiopia, refugee registration has stopped for tens of thousands arriving from South Sudan and Eritrea, while other refugees await verification. Care Under Conflict: Residents near Eritrea’s border report hunger and a lack of medical treatment amid renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia. A UN convoy carrying 90 tonnes of supplies to treat acute malnutrition has reached Mekelle, but more aid and safe access for health services are urgently needed. Workplace Safety: A seminar in Assab on October 8 focused on occupational health, safety policies and workers’ rights, organized by the workers’ confederation and the labor ministry’s regional branch.

Conflict and Care: Ethiopian forces entered Adwa near Eritrea’s border after TPLF fighters withdrew. Residents reported that Adwa Hospital was looted and said fear and insecurity had emptied the roads. Refugee Support: UNHCR says funding cuts are putting services at risk; in Ethiopia, registration has stopped for tens of thousands arriving from South Sudan and Eritrea, while many others await verification. Workplace Health: A seminar in Assab focused on occupational safety, workers’ rights and employers’ responsibilities, with organizers calling for stronger workplace health policies. Aid in Tigray: A UN convoy carrying 90 tonnes of supplies to treat acute malnutrition reached Mekelle, but aid agencies say more assistance and safe access to functioning health facilities are urgently needed.

Migration and Emergency Care: At least 139 people, including 15 children, died and about 84 remain missing after a boat capsized on the Djibouti–Yemen route. Djiboutian authorities are searching for survivors and providing medical care; the IOM is also offering health and psychosocial support. Conflict and Health Access: Renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia is disrupting aid and leaving residents in some areas without medical care. A UN convoy carrying 90 tonnes of supplies to treat acute malnutrition reached Mekelle, but humanitarian agencies warn that more aid and safe access to functioning health facilities are urgently needed. Workplace Safety: In Assab, Eritrean workers and officials held a seminar on occupational health and safety, focusing on workers’ rights and employers’ responsibilities.

Migration and Emergency Care: A boat carrying 305 people from Djibouti to Yemen capsized, killing at least 139, including 15 children; about 84 remain missing. The IOM is supporting survivors with healthcare and psychosocial care in Obock. Conflict and Health Access: Renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia has left residents of Adigrat reporting hunger and a lack of medical treatment. A UN convoy carrying 90 tonnes of supplies to treat acute malnutrition has reached Mekelle, but humanitarian agencies warn that needs remain urgent and health facilities must be protected. Workplace Safety: A seminar in Assab on October 8 focused on occupational health, worker rights and safer workplace policies for Marine Products Corporation employees.

Workplace Safety: Workers at the Marine Products Corporation of Eritrea in Assab attended a seminar on occupational health and safety, with officials calling for stronger workplace policies and continued training. Care in Tigray: Residents amid renewed fighting face hunger and limited medical care. The UN says a convoy carrying 90 metric tons of supplies to treat acute malnutrition has reached Mekelle, but more aid and access to functioning health facilities are urgently needed. Conflict’s Health Toll: MSF documented more than 720 war-wounded at reported hospitals, while aid workers estimate about 150,000 people displaced in Afar. The UN also warned that looted aid stores and facilities are disrupting relief operations.

Humanitarian Health: A UN convoy carrying supplies to treat acute malnutrition reached Mekelle, the first aid convoy to enter Tigray since renewed fighting began. The UN says more assistance is urgently needed and calls for civilians and health facilities to be protected. Food Security: A historically dry rainy season threatens Ethiopia’s main harvest, while conflict has disrupted aid to hungry families in the north, raising concerns about worsening nutrition and food prices. Workplace Safety: Workers at Eritrea’s Marine Products Corporation in Assab attended a seminar on occupational health and safety, labor rights and workplace policies. Health Leadership: Ethiopia’s parliament approved Mekdes Daba as the country’s health minister in the new Council of Ministers.

Regional Health Risks: Ethiopia told the UN it is taking unspecified self-defense measures against Eritrea, amid unverified allegations of Eritrean troop crossings. The escalating tensions threaten civilians and access to care in a region already strained by fighting. Emergency Nutrition: The first aid convoy since renewed hostilities reached Mekelle with 90 metric tons of supplies to treat acute malnutrition. UN aid workers have also returned, but urgent assistance is still needed and health facilities must remain accessible. Food Security: One of Ethiopia’s driest rainy seasons on record threatens harvests in Tigray, Afar and neighboring regions. With fighting disrupting aid and humanitarian depots looted, families face growing risks of hunger and worsening malnutrition.

Malnutrition Relief: A UN convoy carrying 90 metric tons of supplies to treat acute malnutrition has reached Mekelle, the first aid trucks and humanitarian workers to enter Tigray since fighting resumed. The UN says more emergency assistance is urgently needed and calls for civilian protection and access to functioning health facilities. Food Security: A historically dry rainy season threatens harvests across northern Ethiopia, while fighting has disrupted aid deliveries. Crop losses and rising food prices could deepen hunger and increase pressure on already strained health services. Regional Tensions: Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of sending troops into its territory; Eritrea denies the claim, which has not been independently confirmed. The escalation risks further disrupting humanitarian care near the border.

Conflict and Civilian Health: Reports of Eritrean troops moving into Tigray have heightened fears of a wider Ethiopia–Eritrea confrontation; Eritrea denies its forces are there. Renewed fighting has also disrupted aid, with the UN reporting looted warehouses and the loss of food, seeds, water pumps and other supplies. Disability Inclusion: In Asmara, World Cerebral Palsy Day events called for equal rights and better support for people with disabilities and their families, with health and other government bodies taking part.

Conflict and Civilian Health: Reports say Eritrean troops were seen in Adigrat and moving south into Tigray, raising fears of wider fighting. The UN says renewed clashes have disrupted aid and looting destroyed food, seeds and water equipment—deepening risks for civilians, including children, older people and the sick. Disability Support: A cerebral palsy awareness event in Asmara called for equal rights and better support for people with disabilities and their families.

Food Security & Health: Ethiopia’s exceptionally dry June–September rains threaten the main harvest, which provides more than 85% of national crop output. Water shortages and rising food prices could worsen hardship in the north, where conflict has disrupted aid. Humanitarian Access: Fighting in Tigray has displaced families, killed civilians in reported airstrikes and disrupted relief work; looted warehouses held food, seeds and water pumps. Border Concerns: Reports of Eritrean troops moving south in Tigray, amid worsening Ethiopia–Eritrea tensions, raise further concerns for civilians and aid access near Eritrea’s border.

Border Tensions: Local officials and witnesses told AFP that Eritrean troops were in Adigrat and moving south with heavy weapons, raising fears of a wider clash. The reports have not been independently verified; Eritrea denies involvement in the fighting. Civilian Health: Airstrikes in Tigray killed at least 17 people, including displaced people sheltering in Shiraro, while fighting in Afar reportedly damaged a health station and displaced about 150,000 people. Ethiopian church leaders appealed for dialogue, warning that children, women, older people and the sick bear the greatest burden of war. Disability Inclusion: Asmara marked World Cerebral Palsy Day, with local advocates calling for equal rights and better support so people with disabilities can participate fully in community life.

Eye Health Push: Cure Blindness Project says it will support 770,000 free eye screenings across Asia, Africa and the Caribbean for World Sight Day (Oct. 8), aiming to link people to treatment and strengthen local eye-care systems. Tigray Conflict and Health Risks: Drone strikes in Tigray’s Adwa and Shiraro killed at least 17, including displaced families, as fighting disrupts aid and damages civilian life. Mekelle Under Pressure: Reports say government-allied forces regained control of Mekelle after TPLF temporarily withdrew, with communications partially returning—an unstable shift that raises fears for hospitals and essential services. Afar Displacement: About 150,000 people were displaced in northern Afar after fighting ended with government forces reclaiming Abala and Erebti; health stations were hit. Medicine Safety Concern: A UN report warns medicine trafficking is a major public health threat in parts of Central Africa, highlighting how conflict and weak controls can fuel unsafe drug flows. Disability Awareness: World Cerebral Palsy Day was observed in Asmara, with calls for better inclusion and support from health, education and social welfare institutions.

Tigray Conflict and Health Risks: Drone strikes in northwestern and central Tigray killed at least 17 people, including displaced families sheltering in a camp in Shiraro (Sheraro) near the Eritrean border, as fighting and looting disrupted aid and services. Mekelle Under Pressure: Government-allied forces say they control Mekelle after the TPLF temporarily withdrew, with residents reporting partial reopening of markets and restored communications—while fears grow of renewed humanitarian collapse. Forced Recruitment Claims: Reports say Tigray rebel groups are forcibly recruiting boys and men as young as 15, adding to child-soldier and protection concerns amid renewed clashes. Eritrea–Ethiopia Diplomatic Fallout: Ethiopia closed its embassy in Eritrea and expelled Eritrean diplomats; Eritrea retaliated by cutting ties, raising regional instability that can worsen health access. Disability Care Spotlight: World Cerebral Palsy Day was observed in Asmara, with calls for better inclusion and support for people with disabilities. Medicine Safety Watch: UN/WHO reporting flags medicine trafficking as a major public health threat in parts of Central Africa, underscoring supply-chain risks during conflict.

Tigray Conflict & Health Risks: Reports say a new Tigray rebel alliance has been forcibly recruiting men and boys as young as 15, as renewed fighting threatens another humanitarian crisis and strains already battered health services. Mekelle Under Pressure: Ethiopian and allied forces reportedly took control of Mekelle, with communications returning in parts of the city, while residents fear looting and renewed disruption of care. Afar Displacement & Care Damage: About 150,000 people were displaced in northern Afar after fighting around Abala and Erebti, where residents say the Erebti health station was hit by heavy weapons fire. Airstrikes in Tigray: Airstrikes and artillery reportedly killed at least 17 people in Adwa and Sheraro, raising fears of wider instability and more injuries needing urgent treatment. Eritrea–Ethiopia Diplomatic Break: Ethiopia closed its embassy in Asmara and expelled Eritrean diplomats; Eritrea retaliated by cutting ties—an escalation that can worsen cross-border access to medicines and humanitarian support. Regional Trade & Health Markets: At Egypt’s Alamein Africa Forum, leaders highlighted that Africa imports most pharmaceuticals and vaccines, pushing local manufacturing and health as an investable sector—key for long-term resilience.