In Kondala district of West Welega zone, Oromia region, 78 people died in just one village due to a flu-like epidemic.
The Oromia Regional Health Office has confirmed the outbreak and announced that it is trying to respond immediately.
DW confirmed from residents that the outbreak also occurred in Kelem Welega and West Welega.
According to residents, the lack of security in the area has exposed the residents to famine and epidemic diseases and is causing many to die.
A resident said, “Now we have a severe lack of food. He said that this is not because of the drought or the anger of the creator, but because of the conflict created by man, not going out and farming.
It has been five years since war erupted in the Oromia region between the Oromo Liberation militants and the government’s security forces.
In addition to being killed by the war, residents are also exposed to severe health problems and starvation.
The Oromia Health Bureau, on the other hand, stated that the epidemic has occurred and announced that it is working together with humanitarian organizations to protect citizens from the epidemic.
Cholera and malaria epidemics occur frequently in the Oromia region and the number of citizens who die is increasing.
A cholera epidemic has occurred in the Amhara region, where government security forces and Fano militants are fighting, and innocent lives are being lost.
The epidemic could not be controlled due to the inability of health professionals to move from place to place due to the war, and even refugees from Sudan have died, according to the Ethiopian Public Health Institute.
In total, this year alone, 24,559 Ethiopians were infected with cholera and 321 people lost their lives, the institute added.
The Cholera epidemic in Ethiopia has still not disappeared and is active in 84 districts and cholera vaccine is being given in areas with better security conditions.
However, due to the war in the Oromia and Amhara regions, where 60 per cent of the country’s population lives, health facilities face a shortage of medical supplies.
