Addis Abeba — More than 3,800 internally displaced households who returned from Sudan due to ongoing instability are living without humanitarian assistance at the Abiy Addi IDP center in Tigray, according to information obtained by Addis Standard.
The returnees are part of approximately 13,131 displaced households at the site, many of whom arrived as early as 2022. Camp residents say humanitarian conditions have sharply deteriorated, with families sheltering in makeshift structures that have stood for nearly five years.
When contacted about federal claims that "uninterrupted support had been provided between September and December," Abiy Addi camp coordinator Kidanemariam rejected the assertion.
"One cannot say there is sufficient aid," he told Addis Standard. "There are about 3,800 households who came from the Sudan cluster who have received no food aid or assistance at all. They arrived around February and March 2024 and have received nothing since."
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He added that affected households survive largely through communal sharing. "When they complain, they are told there is no supply. They fall under the CRC cluster. There is no solution and no one listening," he said, stressing that if federal support were reaching the ground, these families would not have been excluded.
Camp officials estimate that nearly 80 percent of residents are now at critical risk. While some able-bodied individuals occasionally find daily labor, conditions for elderly people, female-headed households, and those with health problems remain dire.
"Many people are confined to their beds and separated from their families. The situation is truly alarming," one displaced resident told Addis Standard, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
Food insecurity remains one of the most pressing challenges, according to camp residents, who said sorghum--the only grain distributed--has caused health problems, particularly among elderly people and those with chronic medical conditions. Each person receives 15 kilograms per month, part of which is often sold to buy basic necessities such as salt and pepper. Wheat, previously included in distributions, has not been provided since 2025.
"Although no starvation-related deaths have been officially confirmed, a displaced woman at the camp, speaking on condition of anonymity, said many residents are on the brink of death. She described visible physical deterioration among elderly individuals due to prolonged malnutrition."
Medical services are also severely constrained. While Action Against Hunger provides weekly medical support, residents report that supplies are far from adequate. Responsibility for the gaps, they say, lies with multiple authorities, including federal institutions.
Residents stressed that while long-term solutions depend on safe and voluntary return to their places of origin, immediate life-saving assistance is urgently needed. They are calling for emergency food aid, medical supplies, clean water, and shelter support.
"The youth who speak on social media are our only hope," one group of residents told Addis Standard, referring to activists sharing their plight online. "They are saving lives by telling our story. We ask all media outlets to amplify our voices so the world can hear us."
Mrs. Letebirhan, a mother of five who has lived in the camp for years, described the emotional toll of prolonged displacement:
"We have been condemned to live in these huts for a long time. Even though this is where we were born and raised, it has become unbearable. Our morale is broken."
Another resident, who requested anonymity for security reasons and sustained injuries during the war in Western Tigray, said conditions continue to worsen: "Every day becomes harder. Organizations are leaving, fear is growing, and people are simply waiting without hope. We are living in absolute squalor."
Without urgent humanitarian intervention, residents warned, conditions at the Abiy Addi IDP center could deteriorate further, placing thousands of lives at imminent risk.
In Addis Standard's 22 December report more than 1,700 internally displaced persons (IDPs) sheltering at the Hitsats IDP center in Tigray are facing a worsening hunger crisis, with reports indicating repeated fatalities and growing numbers of people in critical condition due to severe food shortages and limited access to medical care.
According to a report by the local broadcaster, at least 50 IDPs have reportedly died amid acute food shortages since July 2025, while approximately 1,700 others remain at risk. Elderly people, women, and children are among those most affected, with residents reporting incidents of people collapsing after going days without adequate food.
Families at the Hitsats center, many of whom were displaced from Western Tigray, told the broadcaster that hunger and lack of medicine have led to repeated fatalities in the camp. They said the assistance they receive is insufficient, explaining that the 15 kilograms of grain distributed intermittently does not meet basic needs. IDPs added that nearly half of the grain must be sold to cover milling costs and other essentials, while the type of grain provided is difficult for children, the elderly, and those with medical conditions to consume.
The Administrator of Western Tigray, Gidey Azenaw, confirmed the scale of the crisis and death of more than 50 IDPs. He added that over 300 IDPs have lost their lives since 2020, warning that without immediate intervention, displaced populations remain at risk of further loss of life.
Political parties have issued statements underscoring the severity of the crisis. The Tigray Democratic Solidarity Party (Simret ) called for immediate humanitarian intervention to address the hunger crisis at Hitsats, urging domestic and international actors to mobilize emergency assistance. The party also called for the full implementation of the Pretoria Agreement, which it said remains critical to resolving the displacement and humanitarian crisis.
Salsay Weyane Tigray (SaWeT) said the suffering of displaced people in Hitsats reflects the systemic failures of TPLF's decades-long rule, which has left the region mired in hunger and hardship. The party stressed that while immediate aid is vital, only structural change can fully resolve Tigray's crisis and end the humiliation of its people.
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For its part, Tigray People's Liberation Front( TPLF) said the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate despite the Pretoria Agreement, blaming federal government policies and calling on international guarantors to act urgently.
Lt. Gen. Tadesse Worede, Tigray Interim Administration President, acknowledged the gravity of the hunger crisis. Speaking at road inauguration yesterday, he warned that failing to address hunger could prove as deadly as conflict. "If we focus only on war, we will perish from hunger," he said, urging coordinated efforts to prevent both famine and instability.
Furthermore, the Tigray Interim Administration said it called for a cabinet meeting on 22 December, 2025, on the causes of the crisis at Hitsats and possible emergency response measures, as pressure mounts on authorities and aid agencies to act swiftly to prevent further loss of life.
The issue of IDPs has emerged as a central concern in post-war Tigray. In June, hundreds demonstrated outside the Interim President's Office in Mekelle, denouncing delays and demanding immediate repatriation. Protesters marched under the slogan, "We are dying here; we will die if we go. It is better for us to die in our land."
