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Over 50,000 displaced by Tigray clashes in Ethiopia

Shelters are seen at a newly built internally displaced persons (IDP) camp near the Mekelle Industrial Park in Mekele, the capital of the Tigray region, Ethiopia, on June 28, 2021. (Photo: AFP)

By Hanifa Adan | 23 Apr 2024

Tigray has been under a de facto blockade for the last four years, limiting humanitarian assistance and the delivery of essential supplies.

The latest UN humanitarian report on Ethiopia says that the number of people displaced following clashes in the southern Tigray zone has more than tripled to 50,000.

This new statistic was recorded on April 16 following reports from zonal authorities. Among the victims are 42,000 people in the Kobo area of North Wello, and 8,300 in the Sekota area of Wag Hamra.

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The report says that most of the displaced people, the majority of whom are women, children, youth, and the elderly, are still seeking refuge within the host community, while the rest are sheltering in an open area at an industrial site, exposed to the elements during the ongoing rainy season.

"The relocation of some of the IDPs is reportedly underway, according to partners on the ground, and an update will be published as more information is made available," says the report

"Meanwhile, the government and humanitarian partners have started providing assistance based on the preliminary findings of the joint partners' assessment mission conducted on April 17 and the Ethiopia Disaster Risk Management Commission's (EDRMC) assessment team deployed on April 19 following a formal request for assistance made by the Amhara Region."

The report adds that despite the positive developments in interventions, responses are not commensurate with the increasing needs and that humanitarian partners are working to strengthen zonal-level coordination through the existing Incident Command Post (ICP).

The ICP meeting, previously held monthly, is now taking place weekly.

Tigray has been under a de facto blockade for the last four years, with little to no access to cash, fuel, telecommunication, or electricity, limiting humanitarian assistance and the delivery of essential supplies.

On February 26, the Ethiopian government and humanitarian partners issued the 2024 Ethiopia Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) valued at US$3.24 billion, targeting 15.5 million people with multi-sectoral assistance, including four million internally displaced persons.

On March 11, the EDRMC, the United Nations and humanitarian partners released the joint Priority Humanitarian Response and Critical Funding Gaps document, requiring US$998 million to respond to acute humanitarian needs until June 2024.