Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Tigray organized mass rallies on Thursday across multiple cities and towns, demanding the full implementation of the Pretoria Agreement and their right to return home.
The demonstrations took place in Adwa, Axum, Shire, Abiy-Adi, Adigrat, Shiraro, Lalai Koraro, Endabaguna, Adi Daero, Selekleka, and Nebelet.
Berhane Kahsay, the coordinator of the Adigrat Cluster for IDPs, stated, "Since the signing of the Pretoria Agreement, over 290 IDPs, including 27 children, have died from hunger and disease in Adigrat alone." He added, "The suffering is unbearable, and today we are raising our voices in desperation, demanding action for our people."
According to Berhane, more than 40,000 people participated in the rally in Adigrat alone. "We ask all parties to recognize the immense suffering of IDPs," he said, "and expedite their return to their homes."
In Adwa, Desinet, another cluster coordinator, highlighted similar concerns. "Over 90,000 people participated in today's rally," he said. "We are demanding the return of IDPs to their homes after four years of suffering with inadequate aid and a lack of medical care."
He added, "We are deeply grateful for your support," emphasizing, "We demand our constitutional right to live peacefully in our homes, free from the constant threat of violence."
Participants chanted slogans such as: "The Pretoria Agreement must be fully implemented," "Our right to live in our homes must be protected," and "We are dying without assistance."
Abrehet Giday, one of the participants, stressed the urgency of their demands. "We are rallying to demand the right to return to our homes," she said, adding, "We can no longer survive in tents without aid."
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These rallies followed a three-day demonstration in Mekelle last week, organized by the Tsilal Civil Society of Western Tigray. The protest, titled Yak'el ("Enough is Enough"), aimed to spotlight the severe challenges faced by IDPs, including hunger, lack of medical care, and inadequate humanitarian aid.
Protesters have been vocal in their demands, chanting slogans such as "Return us to our homes," "Give attention to IDPs in Sudan," and "Living in tents is enough."
A recent report by Addis Standard highlighted the increasing death toll among IDPs from Western Tigray. Displaced people residing in 99 centers across the region face severe hardships, including critical food shortages, limited access to medical care, and inadequate humanitarian aid.
In an interview with Addis Standard, Wolay Berhe, the coordinator for IDPs in Shire, revealed that nearly 300 displaced individuals at the Hintsad center have died over the past three months, with at least one death reported daily and some days recording two or three deaths.
