Since last Thursday, public transportation services across most areas of the Amhara region have been disrupted, causing widespread difficulties for residents. The interruption in transit has severely impacted the public, with witnesses and residents reporting that those needing medical care have been completely cut off from essential treatment.

A resident of Denbecha town in the West Gojjam Zone told DW Amharic that since last Thursday, all transportation has been shut down, bringing activities in the area to a halt. As a result, the polio vaccination campaign launched this week has not been implemented. According to the resident, road closures have prevented the district from sending experts to the town to conduct training on the polio vaccination, delaying the rollout of the campaign in the area.

A resident of Metema Yohannes in West Gondar reported that despite some activity in the area, travel to Gondar and other distant locations remains completely impossible. He noted that the ongoing conflict between the Fano armed group and Ethiopian government security forces has severely restricted access to Galabat, a crucial Sudanese border town known for its vital trade links.

In the North Shewa zone, a resident of Ataye stated that while there are some three-wheeled vehicles operating within the town, there are no vehicles traveling to Addis Ababa or Dessie.

In Gondar town, while some transportation services continue to operate in certain areas, residents report that public transport to Bahir Dar and other destinations is severely limited, according to DW. This lack of access is exacerbating challenges for the community and hindering their ability to obtain essential goods and services, as noted by the radio.

Ethiopian federal forces have been deployed in large numbers in the Amhara region over the past fortnight, where an armed insurgency has persisted for over a year.

The Fano, a long-standing “self-defence” militia for the Amhara ethnic group took up arms against the federal government in April 2023 after it tried to disarm regional forces. “Over the past two weeks, there have been numerous reinforcements (of the federal army) and many arrests of officials suspected of collusion with the Fano,” a security source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.