Marginalization of the Amharas

Part II 

The Fano Movement: A Symbol of Courage and Defiance

By Worku Aberra 

  In this instalment, I will use selected healthcare indicators and the poverty rate to illuminate the stark marginalization faced by the Amhara community during the TPLF era of 1991—2018. The purpose of this essay is to shed light on the budgetary disparities that have significantly harmed the health outcomes of the Amhara people. This approach allows us to navigate the relevant data to illustrate the Amhara community’s plight without overwhelming readers with excessive statistics.

Economic development indicators, particularly the proportion of households with access to essential healthcare services, provide a lens through which we can scrutinize the impact of ethnicity-based economic policies in Ethiopia. Since health is considered a global public good, Western governments, particularly the US government, and international lending organizations have prioritized funding the healthcare sector in Ethiopia, but the funds have been inequitably distributed, resulting in skewed distribution of health services. Perhaps more than any other metric, the allocation of healthcare services indicates a strong bias in the distribution of development funds.

The consequences of the uneven allocation of healthcare funding are significant. Restricting sufficient funding for health services in a region is equivalent to subjecting its residents to prolonged illness and premature death. Adequate funding is essential for providing timely diagnoses, appropriate interventions, and essential medications. Insufficient funding not only violates the fundamental right to basic healthcare, but also weakens a community’s economic development.

Health outcome indicators

Table I provides compelling evidence of the Amhara region’s marginalization in the healthcare sector. It presents access to improved drinking water, improved sanitation, and age-appropriate vaccination rates. The indicators serve as clear markers of the disparities in healthcare access across Ethiopia in 2019. The data, obtained from the USAID demographic household survey, underscore the glaring disparities in healthcare provision across Ethiopia’s regions during the TPLF era.

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Part II Selected indicators of Amhar Marginaliation ver 2