A preliminary study conducted by the Amhara Region State’s war-affected areas Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Fund Office (ARRFO), has revealed that between 700- 800 billion birr is needed to rebuild the war-affected areas in the Amhara regional state.
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) combatants upon the order of their leaders in Mekelle had inflicted the huge damage worth over 731 billion birr, during the two- year war the study revealed noting that the amount of the overall cost of the war in the regional state could increase with the inclusion of additional cost of affected areas which are not yet included in the study.
The extensive census, which will likely become official in the coming weeks, included all the areas of the Amhara regional state that were impacted by TPLF’s deliberate devastation of public and private organizations and enterprises as well as looting of resources from the region.
The study has covered 945 localitiesin the regional state that were affected by the three rounds of war launched by the TPLF.“We expect much from our people—to contribute and give back the livelihoods of people affected by this war, Abate Getahun (PhD),director of the ARRFO was quoted as saying.
“Every Ethiopian, in Ethiopia and abroad, is expected to contribute. Peoplehave died, lost their livelihoods, or been displaced from their homes. Most ofthe property in the region is damaged, looted, or malfunctioning,” he added.
The only option, Abate said, is to reconstruct what is damaged. “The destruction in the Amhara region was massive because it came from all directions. It is deep and wide,” Abate said.
However, the director warned the crisis in the region is still not over.
