The Tigrai IDPs are real people & real families displaced by the war in Tigrai

Tigrai Online 6/22/2023

Everyday we hear Tigrai IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) in the news but have you ever imagine this people are real people with real families? These people have been uprooted from their homes and they land by the ongoing genocidal war. Over two million individuals and communities have been displaced within Tigrai itself and over 70 thousand are seeking shelter in Sudan. Family members from the same household are divided because they fled to save their lives and some went to Sudan others went to central Tigrai not knowing where their kin are.

Tigrai is totally cutoff from the rest of the world, there is no internet, international news media are not allowed to go to Tigrai. Almost half of Tigrai is still under occupation by Amhara forces and Eritrean forces.

The war in Tigray began in November 2020 when tensions escalated between the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the ruling party in Tigray, and the Ethiopian federal government. The conflict has resulted in widespread violence, displacement, and humanitarian crisis of biblical proportions.

As a result of the conflict, many people in Tigray have been forced to flee their homes to escape fighting, looting, sexual violence, and other atrocities. These individuals and families have sought refuge in makeshift camps, host communities, or other relatively safer areas within the Tigray region.

The situation has been further exacerbated by the disruption of basic services, such as health care, food supplies, and clean water, leading to dire humanitarian conditions for the IDPs. Ethiopian, Eritrean and Amhara regional governments are accused of human rights abuses and violations, war crimes, crimes against humanity, including killings, sexual violence and using hunger and sexual violence as weapon of war.

The plight of Tigray IDPs has drawn international attention and concern. Humanitarian organizations, the US government, the EU and the United Nations have been working to provide emergency assistance and support to the displaced population, but access to affected areas and the provision of aid have been challenging due to the siege by the invading forces, security concerns and limited resources.

Next time you read or hear about Tigrai IDPs remember these are people. The people in the photo below are some of IDPs from Western Tigrai in Abi-Adi central Tigrai waiting to go back to their homes.