Addis Abeba — Displaced people are fleeing the Hayiq Jari 2 Turkey camp for internally displaced persons (IDP) in Amhara region following a deadly drone strike that killed at least 18 civilians and injured 22 others, with survivors reporting the closure of essential support services and growing uncertainty over where they can go.
Two IDPs who survived the October 29 attack told Addis Standard that fear has spread across the camp, prompting families to leave in an unorganized manner and seek shelter in nearby host communities.
Alemtsehay, a name changed for safety reasons, said the death toll had risen to 18 following the attack.
"After the camp was bombed, all the existing on-site support centers were closed. Small markets where edibles were sold by IDPs themselves have not returned. On-site classrooms where IDP children were taking lessons have also closed off," she said.
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"There is fear everywhere, even to be in one place in groups. Many have packed and started to leave the site. But these are not organized departures. Some people have sheltered in nearby host communities," she added.
The strike hit the camp at around 11:00 a.m. on October 29, while residents were inside their shelters. A witness previously told Addis Standard that the camp was struck at least five times, with intervals of approximately 15 minutes between attacks.
The attack killed civilians, including children, women and elderly people, among them three pregnant women, an eight-year-old girl and students. At least 22 others were injured, according to camp residents.
The injured were taken to Hayiq Hospital, with those in serious condition referred to Dessie Hospital. A resident who witnessed the attack said at least 15 victims were buried together in a single grave because there was no space to bury them individually.
The strikes triggered panic, scattering families as people fled in different directions. Some residents remained unable to locate relatives in the aftermath.
The camp reportedly hosts more than 1,800 displaced people, many of whom have endured years of displacement and humanitarian hardship.
Yeshialem, who identified herself by her first name only, said displaced people from Kellem Wollega and Kiramu in East Wollega had been told to return to their villages since 2024, despite persistent obstacles to safe and sustainable return.
"Many tried to return, but they came back after a few months of exhausting travels after they were prohibited from reaching their villages and homes," she told Addis Standard.
"Since then, we have been sustaining ourselves with handouts from volunteer organizations and individuals. Now I don't know where those who are leaving the camp site can go," she said.
Yeshialem said some displaced people were discussing traveling to Bahir Dar, the Amhara regional capital, to appeal to the government, although she was uncertain whether the move would yield any solution.
"It is chaos. No one has any clear idea what tomorrow looks like," she said.
The accounts shed light on the prolonged uncertainty facing thousands of civilians displaced from Oromia who have sought refuge in camps in Amhara, where repeated calls for return have been accompanied by concerns over security, access to homes and livelihoods, and the lack of adequate support.
In December 2023, Addis Standard reported that displaced people at the Jara IDP center in North Wollo Zone were facing eviction orders amid an agreement between the Amhara and Oromia regional administrations to facilitate their return. At the time, authorities said displaced people would first be relocated to a center in Debre Birhan before returning to their areas of origin, while residents expressed concern about being sent back to areas where insecurity persisted.
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In August 2025, Addis Standard reported that displaced people from Kiramu woreda in East Wollega and Dano woreda in West Shewa, sheltering in Jara and China camps, said that officials in Oromia had threatened to confiscate their land over unpaid taxes on properties they had abandoned after fleeing conflict.
Some displaced residents said they were willing to return if security conditions improved, but remained unable to reclaim their homes and livelihoods safely.
The October 29 drone strike has now compounded the uncertainty for residents of Hayiq Jari 2, leaving survivors facing renewed displacement, disrupted education and support services, and few clear options for securing shelter.
