Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Ethiopia’s Amhara region are grappling with deteriorating shelter conditions after years of displacement, with temporary tents issued three years ago now crumbling under the strain of time and weather, according to a report by DW.
Initially intended for six months of use, the canvas shelters in the North and South Wollo zones have become increasingly uninhabitable, leaving mothers, children, and vulnerable individuals exposed to rain, heat, and disease. Residents say the worn-out tents no longer provide basic protection, worsening health challenges, particularly among pregnant women and newborns.
“When it rains, the ground turns to mud, and we have no place to sit or sleep,” one displaced person shared. “The rain we used to welcome for our crops has become a curse for us.”
At camps like Haik Mekane Eyesus and Jara, mothers described alarming hardships. Fatuma Nur, who recently delivered twins, said: “The heat and leaking tents are unbearable. My surgical wound won’t heal, and the children suffer from rashes.”
Despite repeated promises of improved shelter, IDPs in camps including Turke, Mekane Eyesus, Jara, and Gerado continue to live in tattered tents. Repairs offer little relief, and even minimal rainfall renders the shelters unusable.
Officials from the South Wollo zone, which hosts 34,000 displaced people, acknowledged the issue. Ali Seyid, head of the Disaster Prevention and Food Security Office, said that although local authorities have flagged the situation to regional and federal agencies, no substantial support has materialized. He cited the withdrawal of foreign aid organizations as a major challenge.
Efforts to obtain a response from the Amhara Regional Disaster Prevention and Food Security Commission were unsuccessful.
The crisis echoes earlier reports from Debre Birhan, where thousands of IDPs face worsening food shortages, cold, and inadequate shelter. Across the Amhara region, over 664,000 displaced individuals remain trapped in precarious conditions, with international humanitarian groups warning of rising risks amid overcrowding and neglected infrastructure.
