As the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and allied forces clash with the Ethiopian National Defense Forces, international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said it is seeing an increasing number of war-wounded patients at hospitals in the northern part of the country.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, MSF said between September 22 and 25, the number of war-wounded patients admitted at Korem, Alamata and Shire hospitals surged to 720 following intense military escalation across northern Ethiopia.
The sudden surge in injured civilians and combatants prompted MSF medical teams to expand emergency operations across Tigray, Amhara, and Afar starting September 23, 2026.
According to medical records released by the organization, Korem and Alamata hospitals received 180 wounded patients on September 23 alone. Within 48 hours, patient admissions across both facilities climbed past 420. Concurrently, Suhul Hospital in Shire, located in northwestern Tigray, admitted over 300 patients suffering from severe combat injuries through September 26, 2026.
The influx of casualties follows the escalation of hostilities across regional borders after armed groups and opposition factions announced a joint military alliance.
Medical personnel working alongside local healthcare workers continue providing emergency surgical care, trauma treatment, and medical supplies to overburdened regional facilities. Humanitarian officials warned that persistent combat operations and infrastructure disruptions risk severely compromising emergency response capacities across all three medical hubs.
As people flee the fighting, MSF is monitoring the displacement situation in communities and preparing to respond to the needs of displaced people in the Tigray, Amhara, and Afar regions. We remain concerned for the safety of civilians during this period of increased fighting, and their access to lifesaving health care.
Across Ethiopia, MSF supports health facilities in Oromia, Somali, Amhara, Tigray, Afar, Gambella, and South West Ethiopia region, providing primary, secondary, and emergency medical care.
MG/abj/APA