Why was 'Amhara' removed? Accuracy in humanitarian reporting is not optional.

Re: Clarification request — removal of Amhara from press release title

Dear Sir or Madam,

We write to request a formal clarification from OXFAM International regarding a press release that was recently amended in a manner that concerns our organisation and the communities we represent.

A press release published by OXFAM included, in its original title, an explicit reference to the Amhara region as the primary locus of the humanitarian crisis it described. In a subsequent version of the same press release — which remains publicly accessible — the word “Amhara” was removed from the title, replaced by a more generic formulation.

This alteration is troubling for the following reasons:

1. It obscures the ethnic and geographic specificity of the crisis. The Amhara region is not merely one of several affected areas — it is the epicentre of a military campaign that has produced some of the worst documented humanitarian indicators in the country.

2. It risks inadvertently supporting a narrative of erasure. The Ethiopian government has consistently sought to minimise the specific targeting of Amhara communities. Humanitarian organisations that adopt generic language — even unintentionally — risk reinforcing this narrative.

3. It raises questions about editorial independence. If the amendment was made in response to pressure from the Ethiopian government or its affiliates, this would represent a serious threat to the integrity of humanitarian reporting.

We are not suggesting that OXFAM acted in bad faith. We are requesting transparency.

We ask OXFAM to:

1. Confirm whether the amendment to the press release title was made in response to any external communication;
2. Restore the specific reference to the Amhara region in the press release title;
3. Issue a public statement affirming OXFAM’s commitment to accurate geographic attribution in reporting on the Ethiopian crisis.

Humanitarian organisations carry a responsibility not only to deliver aid, but to bear witness. Bearing witness requires naming what is happening, and to whom, and where.

Yours sincerely,

Molla Delelle (Ph.D.), Chairman Federation of Amhara Associations in Europe