The Threat to Ethiopian Development: A Narrative Analysis of the Crisis in Ethiopia

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to highlight the dangers and threats that conflict or crisis brings to nations, regions, towns, and citizens as whole to inform public policy. The study utilizes the ongoing crisis in Ethiopia as a case- study for the purpose of discussion. The study follows a narrative literature review approach to analyze the study. The study used a Boolean search approach to obtain the relevant literature to support the study analysis. As part of the study findings, the literature reveals that more than 5.2 million people in Tigray, Ethiopia, are in dire need of humanitarian support, including health care, due to the conflict that erupted at the end of 2020. The conflict has left thousands of residents of Tigray region with injuries, emotional and psychological trauma and had a severe impact on the families’ lives and livelihoods. It was also observed from the literature that over 2.1 million people have been displaced and are living in crowded settings with limited access to water and sanitation infrastructure. The study further reveals in the literature that the crisis or conflict has a spatial-spillover on the neighboring regions, towns, and residents in Ethiopia. A particular example was observed from the spillover of the conflict into the neighboring regions of Afar and Amhara in the northern part of the country, Ethiopia. The study recommended that policymakers, international peace-advocates, Africa Union should act fast to assist Ethiopia to end the ongoing crisis in order to restore peace and bring back development to Ethiopia and the surrounding countries.

Keywords: Conflict, Development, Spillover, Crisis, Threat, Violence, Development, healthcare, Economies, and post-Conflict Resolutions

DOI: 10.7176/JESD/12-24-04

Publication date: December 31^st 2021