Canada Travel Advisory Highlights Increased Risk In Ethiopia: Avoid Travel To Conflict Areas And Stay Alert For Health Hazards

Published on November 16, 2025

Ethiopia, 1 of nan astir historically rich | and culturally divers countries successful Africa, has precocious issued a travel advisory urging each non-essential travelers to reconsider their plans to visit. This advisory, updated successful November 2025, highlights nan ongoing risks from civil unrest, armed conflict, and nan emergence successful violent crime passim various regions. While nan business remains volatile, travelers must beryllium alert of nan information risks and wellness concerns, peculiarly successful definite regions of nan country.

Known for its stunning landscapes, ancient history, and vibrant cultures, Ethiopia is simply a spot of awesome beauty and significance. However, caller events person raised concerns for travelers. The Ethiopian government has expressed that galore areas of nan state are unsafe owed to escalating taste conflicts and instability, peculiarly successful nan bluish and cardinal regions, and adjacent nan borders pinch Eritrea, Somalia, and Kenya. While Addis Ababa, nan country’s capital, remains comparatively safer, travelers are still advised to workout a precocious grade of caution.

This article provides captious recreation information, including health risks, regional information concerns, entry requirements, and safety tips for those considering a travel to Ethiopia successful 2025. It’s important to stay informed and prepared to guarantee a safe visit.

Security Concerns successful Ethiopia: Key Regions to Avoid

The information business successful Ethiopia has deteriorated successful definite regions owed to ongoing armed conflict and civil unrest. Several areas, peculiarly successful nan northern, central, and border regions, airs important risks to travelers. Below is an overview of nan information concerns and nan regions that require heightened consciousness aliases should beryllium avoided:

Northern Regions: Amhara, Benishangul-Gumuz, and Tigray

• Amhara: Due to escalating unit and conflict, Amhara is simply a high-risk area. Armed groups are clashing pinch authorities forces, and roadblocks and curfews are common. Travelers should avoid each travel to this region until nan business stabilizes.
• Tigray: Although a bid statement was signed successful November 2022, nan information business successful Tigray remains unstable, peculiarly successful cardinal areas for illustration Mekelle and Adigrat, wherever violent clashes betwixt rival factions person continued.
• Benishangul-Gumuz: Known for ethnic violence and nan consequence of banditry, this region should beryllium avoided owed to nan unpredictability of its information situation.

Central Regions: Gambella, Sidama, and Oromia

• Gambella and Sidama: These areas person knowledgeable violent crime, kidnapping, and armed conflict. Due to nan beingness of equipped groups and ongoing disputes, travelers should avoid each travel to these areas.
• Oromia Region: Conflict betwixt section equipped groups and Ethiopian information forces is prevalent, peculiarly successful nan West Wollega, East Wollega, and Kellem Wollega areas. Travelers are advised to debar non-essential recreation and enactment updated connected section advisories.

Border Regions: High Risk of Violence and Instability

• Border Areas pinch Eritrea, Somalia, Kenya, and South Sudan: The Eritrean border remains a highly militarized zone, and tensions betwixt Ethiopia and Eritrea continue. There is besides an ongoing consequence of violence, terrorist attacks, and landmines successful areas adjacent nan borders pinch Somalia and Kenya. Travelers should avoid each travel wrong 10 km of nan Eritrean border and 100 km of nan Somali border owed to nan precocious consequence of equipped conflict and violent activity.

Safety Tips and Security Recommendations for Travelers

Given nan volatile information situation successful galore regions of Ethiopia, it’s basal for travelers to return nan pursuing information precautions erstwhile visiting nan country:

• Exercise Caution successful Addis Ababa: While nan capital city, Addis Ababa, remains comparatively safer than different regions, travelers should still exercise a precocious grade of caution owed to nan imaginable for spontaneous demonstrations and violent crime.
• Avoid Demonstrations: Demonstrations and protests, often sparked by taste tensions aliases governmental issues, tin move convulsive quickly. Travelers are urged to avoid each nationalist gatherings and travel section media for updates connected nan information situation.
• Stay Informed: Monitor section media, enactment successful interaction pinch nan Canadian Embassy successful Addis Ababa, and registry pinch nan ROCA (Registration of Canadians Abroad) work to person important information updates.
• Follow Local Authorities’ Instructions: If you find yourself successful a volatile situation, ever follow nan advice of section authorities. Stay calm, obey checkpoints, and do not effort to walk roadblocks aliases interact pinch information forces.

Health Concerns: Marburg Virus and Malaria Risks

Apart from nan information concerns, location are besides health risks associated pinch walking to Ethiopia. The Ministry of Health of Ethiopia confirmed an outbreak of Marburg microorganism illness (MVD) successful Jinka, South Ethiopia, arsenic of November 2025. MVD is highly contagious and tin dispersed done nonstop interaction pinch infected bodily fluids, including those of fruit bats, nan superior bearer of nan virus.

For travelers readying to sojourn Ethiopia, peculiarly nan South Ethiopia region, nan pursuing wellness tips are crucial:

• Avoid Contact pinch Sick Individuals: Do not prosecute pinch anyone exhibiting symptoms of MVD, specified arsenic fever, rash, and muscle pain. Seek aesculapian attraction instantly if symptoms create aft exposure.
• Hand Hygiene and Safety: Regular manus washing aliases utilizing manus sanitizer pinch astatine slightest 60% alcohol is essential. Avoid rubbing dead animals, peculiarly bats, and beryllium mindful of hygiene erstwhile handling food.
• Monitor Health After Departure: If you create immoderate symptoms of MVD, activity aesculapian attraction instantly and debar adjacent interaction pinch others.

Additionally, malaria remains a important interest successful Ethiopia, and travelers should return anti-malarial medication if walking to high-risk areas. Use insect repellent, deterioration protective clothing, and slumber nether mosquito nets to trim nan consequence of mosquito-borne diseases.

Entry Requirements and Visa Information

To participate Ethiopia, Canadian citizens must get a tourist visa, which tin beryllium obtained online. Travelers are besides required to person their passport stamped upon presence and should beryllium alert of nan following:

• Visa Requirements: Ensure that your visa matches nan intent of your recreation (tourism, business, etc.). It’s important to use for a visa earlier presence to debar fines aliases detention.
• Health Declaration Forms: Due to nan Mpox outbreak, travelers whitethorn beryllium required to complete a health declaration form upon entry, particularly if showing symptoms.
• Passport Validity: Your passport must beryllium valid for astatine slightest 6 months beyond your planned departure from Ethiopia. Be judge to person a valid recognition card pinch you astatine each times.

Laws and Customs: Key Things to Know

Ethiopia has strict laws that travelers must beryllium alert of to debar ineligible trouble:

• Drug Laws: Possession aliases trafficking of illegal drugs is punishable by terrible penalties. Khat, a locally disposable stimulant, is ineligible successful Ethiopia but is forbidden successful galore different countries. Be cautious astir transporting aliases consuming drugs.
• Cultural Sensitivity: Ethiopia is predominantly an Orthodox Christian country, and travelers should dress conservatively, particularly erstwhile visiting belief sites. During Ramadan, it’s besides important to respect section customs by avoiding eating, drinking, aliases smoking successful nationalist during fasting hours.
• LGBTQ+ Rights: Same-sex relationships are criminalized successful Ethiopia, and travelers should workout caution. Public displays of affection are not accepted, and travelers should cautiously see nan risks earlier traveling.

Natural Disasters: Droughts and Earthquakes

Ethiopia has knowledgeable respective natural disasters successful caller years, including droughts and an summation successful seismic activity. Travelers should beryllium prepared for:

• Drought: Ethiopia has been facing a prolonged drought, which affects nutrient and h2o availability. Travelers should transportation other supplies of h2o and nutrient erstwhile venturing into agrarian areas.
• Earthquakes: Seismic activity has been reported successful Afar and Oromia, and further earthquakes whitethorn occur. It’s basal to support updated connected section media astir imaginable risks and removal protocols.

Conclusion: Plan Carefully Before Visiting Ethiopia

Ethiopia offers travelers a rich | taste practice and stunning landscapes, but it’s important to admit nan information and wellness risks that beryllium successful definite regions. If you must travel, travel information guidelines, enactment informed, and scheme your travel carefully. Always cheque nan latest travel advisories, show section media, and guarantee your recreation documents and wellness precautions are successful order.

By exercising be aware and readying accordingly, you tin bask nan beauty and history of this singular state while staying safe successful nan look of ongoing challenges.