I disagree. It is fair to call them ethical problems if governments repeatedly have the capacity to act but choose not to, since policy inaction itself can be morally consequential. Public policy research treats inaction as real and sometimes purposeful, and it can reflect calculated, ideological, reluctant, or even inadvertent failure to intervene.
The key distinction is between a problem being caused by structural or institutional factors and a government’s responsibility for leaving those factors unaddressed. Once officials know a harmful condition persists and still decline plausible action, the issue becomes not only technical or political but also ethical, because inaction can violate duties of care, fairness, and public trust.