Addis Abeba — More than 18 months after the signing of the Pretoria Peace Agreement in November 2022, the first group of 456 internally displaced persons (IDPs) successfully returned to their villages in the Tselemti district, located in the North Western Zone of the Tigray region, in early July 2024.
This initial return was soon followed by an additional 2,200 IDPs who arrived days later.
In the third phase, regional media reported that nearly 5,000 IDPs returned to Northwestern Tigray, resettling in May Tsebir town and three other locations within the Tselemti district.
While the return of these IDPs offers a glimmer of hope, the conditions faced by those returning to their devastated homes paint a harrowing picture of human suffering.
Deprived of basic necessities and burdened with the overwhelming task of rebuilding their lives from the ruins, these returnees are confronted with a new and grueling ordeal.
Those confined to overcrowded camps are not alone in their struggle for survival; the newly returned population faces equally perilous conditions. Deprived of food, clean water, and medical care, they navigate a landscape of despair.
Returnees to Tselemti describe a harrowing reality: homes reduced to rubble, livelihoods destroyed, and a pervasive sense of insecurity.
The arduous task of rebuilding their lives from the ruins is compounded by a critical shortage of essential resources and infrastructure.
"Significant gaps in administrative and service delivery have persisted, hindering the recovery efforts of the returnees," Embaye Tamiru (last name changed for security reasons), one of the returnees, told Addis Standard.
According to Embaye, despite the efforts of the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) to stabilize the region, critical shortcomings in governance and support services continue to impede recovery efforts.
He highlights the immense challenges faced by the community, noting the stark contrast between the warm welcome they received and the overwhelming obstacles to rebuilding.
The initial relief provided to some returnees has proven insufficient, as Embaye emphasized, as many have returned with nothing but the clothes on their backs, only to find their homes destroyed and looted.
Abruptly relocated without any consideration for the conditions they would face, these survivors are compelled to rebuild their lives amidst the ruins of their former existence." Guesh Dessale, one of the recent returnees
He underscores that their desperate pleas for aid have fallen on deaf ears, leaving them in a state of severe crisis.
"The returnees to Tselemti have endured the most dire circumstances," Guesh Dessale, another returnee, told Addis Standard.
Guesh presents an even more somber assessment, asserting that the situation in Tselemti has deteriorated significantly for both the returning population and the broader community.
According to Guesh, the healthcare system in the region is on the brink of collapse, ravaged by internal divisions among medical staff and a catastrophic shortage of life-saving medications and supplies.
"This medical crisis has resulted in an unprecedented loss of life as countless individuals succumb to preventable illnesses," he observed.
Guesh contends that, in a cruel twist of fate, IDPs from Tselemti, Maytsebri, Raya Ofla, and Raya Alamata who have returned to their homes within the past three months find themselves trapped in a humanitarian abyss.
"Abruptly relocated without any consideration for the conditions they would face, these survivors are compelled to rebuild their lives amidst the ruins of their former existence," he emphasized.
For many returnees, the dream of returning home has transformed into a living nightmare, according to Guesh.
"Homes have been reduced to rubble, livelihoods destroyed, and communities scarred by the indelible wounds of war," he observed. "Acute shortages of food, clean water, and shelter have engendered a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented scale."
With humanitarian aid remaining elusive, the Tigray region is experiencing a deepening humanitarian catastrophe. Desperate calls for immediate assistance and a comprehensive recovery plan are intensifying.
According to the returnees, they are trapped in a living nightmare characterized by hunger, disease, and a relentless struggle for survival. The foundations of their existence have been destroyed, with livelihoods obliterated and the healthcare system in ruins.
"A plague of preventable diseases, including malaria, diarrhea, and respiratory infections, is sweeping through the community, leaving children particularly vulnerable to the devastating effects of malnutrition," Guesh stated.
The initial glimmer of hope among displaced Tigrayans has been extinguished, replaced by a deepening abyss of despair. Once-vibrant communities now resemble ghost towns, haunted by the specter of human suffering.
Guesh paints a harrowing portrait of a population on the brink.
According to him, food insecurity is a critical threat to the community, exacerbated by the devastation of crops, the loss of livestock, and insufficient aid.
"Families teeter on the precipice of starvation, as malnutrition casts a long shadow over children and pregnant women," he stated.
As described by Guesh, the healthcare system in Tigray continues to suffer from the consequences of the two-year war as its remnants struggle to provide even the most basic care.
"A scarcity of medical personnel and supplies has precipitated a crisis of catastrophic proportions," he indicated. "The tragic loss of two mothers within weeks underscores the perilous conditions faced by pregnant women."
Another returnee from South Tigray, who spoke with Addis Standard under the condition of anonymity, echoed this sense of despair.
She explained that while some individuals have received limited assistance, the majority of returnees find themselves adrift in a sea of uncertainty and hardship.
"Although the regional government provided some returnees with 1,500 birr, a significant number have not received this amount and are compelled to return to their destroyed homes," she added.
According to the returnee, the promised 1,500 birr assistance has been withheld from many, and for those who returned to find their homes destroyed and possessions looted, the future is a bleak and uncertain prospect.
She claimed that while some individuals have received aid in Almata and Korem, all returnees from Tigray have yet to receive any support from either regional, federal, or charitable organizations.
Recently, Salsay Woyane Tigray, an opposition party in the Tigray region, issued a statement expressing concern that the return of displaced Tigrayans "remains shrouded in uncertainty."
The party contends that the current administration in Western Tigray, which it characterizes as "unlawful," complicates the safe return of IDPs and refugees.
Salsay Woyane has called for international pressure on the Ethiopian government to facilitate the return of displaced Tigrayans.
According to returnees such as Guesh, Tselemti district has become a harbinger of suffering for both long-term residents and recent returnees, as it remains under a strict blockade.
They emphasize that, isolated from both Amhara and Tigray, the district is a ghost town characterized by desperation, with a complete absence of essential aid, medical supplies, and basic commodities.
However, the crisis extends far beyond the boundaries of Tselemti.
Close to a million IDPs residing in Tigray currently endure a living hell within both camps and host communities.
An IDP from camp in Yechila town, located in the Central Zone of the Tigray region, speaking anonymously out of fear, recounted a harrowing ordeal of seven months without aid.
"This is a catastrophe in the making, a silent genocide where people, particularly children, perish from a lack of the most basic necessities," he stated.
Why returnees, IDPs face dire conditions
An official from the Tigray Disaster Risk Management Commission, who spoke with Addis Standard on the condition of anonymity, highlighted the severe and worsening humanitarian situation for IDPs in the region.
According to him, approximately 956,000 individuals have not received sufficient aid.
The official recounted that five districts in the Tigray region have endured a seven-month aid blackout despite repeated appeals to international organizations such as the World Food Program (WFP) and the Red Cross Society (RCS), which are responsible for aid delivery in 30 and 53 districts, respectively.
According to him, the WFP has primarily concentrated on delivering aid to IDPs in specific camps located in Mekelle, Endabaguna, Adi Grat, Axum, Shraro, Selekleka, and Mekoni. However, a significant portion of the IDP population in these areas resides within the broader community, and WFP has not extended assistance to them.
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"WFP is exclusively providing aid to those in camps, neglecting those living with host communities due to a shortage of shelters," the official stated.
The official also emphasized the critical issue of the registration system, which occurs only every six months, while the influx of IDPs, including recent arrivals from Sudan, continues unabated.
"These new arrivals are unable to access aid until the subsequent registration period, which concluded in June," he explained.
Beyond the confines of IDP camps, authorities confirmed the dire and persistent situation among those who returned to their villages within the past three months.
"While a mutual returnee plan was established, donors have yet to provide aid to returnees in Tselemti, Maitsebri, and South Tigray," the official added. "The government provided limited support to the initial wave of returnees, but subsequent arrivals received no assistance."
According to the official, the returnee plan, discussed with donors, has not been implemented. He empathized that delivering aid to these areas necessitates donor approval and security guarantees, leaving village-dwelling returnees without support.
"This ongoing lack of support has exacerbated the suffering of countless families and individuals, pushing them to the brink of despair," the official indicated.
He also highlighted the plight of returning refugees who have received no humanitarian support and were sent home with nothing. While a 1,500-birr payment was initiated, regional authorities indicated it was insufficient to address their economic needs, and not all eligible individuals have received it.
"Bureaucratic obstacles, including registration issues and lost documents, have severely hindered these returnees' access to essential aid," the official stated. "Even in areas where aid has been distributed, such as Raya Alamata and Raya Ofla, many Tigrayan returnees continue to face a lack of assistance."
