DW Amharic – Internally displaced persons sheltering in Amhara Region say they have been deprived of government attention

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DW Amharic – Internally displaced persons sheltering in Amhara Region say they have been deprived of government attention

Esayas Gelaw

September 8, 2026

Internally displaced persons sheltering with communities in South Wollo, North Wollo, North Shewa and other areas of Amhara Region say due to neglect from authorities they have been exposed to severe hunger, Malaria and social crisis.

Displaced persons residing in the Harbu, Chagni, Jawi and Qalu areas say they have not received food assistance in months. Displaced persons in Chagni town in particular say beyond lack of food they face a malaria epidemic. The Amhara Region Disaster Risk and Management Commission Deputy Commissioner Serkaddis Atale, for his part, said the responsibility to support displaced persons sheltering along impacted communities lies with local administrations at various levels and explained the regional commission would continue to monitor disruptions in support.

It has been 6 months since we received aid – a displaced person

Over the past six years Indris Awel has lived in Harbu town along with his family members integrated with the local community he said, adding “it has been six months since we received food relief either from the state or charity organizations.”

“We are not receiving much, we do not get support, we have been forced to look after ourselves over the past seven months and that is how long it has been since we even received any support. The state has abandoned us since we are not receiving anything from them, around the time we first arrived we would receive support every month or so with priority for children and pregnant women. Let alone at this time when it has stopped arriving, when we would go and ask when it would arrive, we would be told it will come and that’s it, it will come, there is nothing they have provided to us in support. Together with the rising cost of living, it has become very difficult brother.”

In addition to the food shortages, we are suffering from Malaria

Another person who was integrated with the local community in Chagni town is Harun Abdulkadir who says beyond lack of food internally displaced persons have been facing a Malaria epidemic.

“Of those of us who came here it is truthfully difficult to say we have received any assistance from the state, which is shameful, because even when we first came, we would receive support once every six months, once every four months prior to this time. But now this year we have not received anything for the entire year; we have not seen any support from the state. Now we have become tired of the asking and pleading. But now the state has abandoned us, we have been told to ask support from the communities sheltering us and not to expect anything from the state, but now on top of this a Malaria epidemic has created a new problem with people pleading for medical care.”

Mehamed Sayed who resides outside the Jawi shelter and supports his family through day labor also says the state has given them minimal attention saying compared to internally displaced persons like him in camps in North Shewa and North Wollo his situation is “better.”

“Let alone priority there is no one for us to talk to let alone providing relief there is no one to give it to us, there is no body to acknowledge our humanity at all. We are dispersed in various places; everyone searches for provisions daily. Everyone is dispersed and cries in different places. At this time, we at least can do some physical work, as we suffer and fatigue, making our situation better since we can feed ourselves through our work, but the shelters in Jara and Debre Birhan there is no work available, there is nowhere to go, there is only problems and disease, there is nothing else for them.”

At this time work is underway to reduce the number of internally displaced persons registered in South Wollo says Mehamed Sayed of Qalu, adding there are still unregistered internally displaced persons facing challenges.

“The food would come once in three months or once in four months, and even then, all displaced persons have not been registered. It would come based on outdated registry data from two or three years ago, it has become beyond our means, we are facing severe problems. There was an order to reduce the number of internally displaced persons, but there are people living in tents who gave birth, so it is very hard to say reduce the number of people.”

The responsibility to help the internally displaced persons lies with local administrations

The Amhara Region Disaster Risk and Management Commission deputy commissioner Serkaddis Atale says the responsibility to cover the needs of internally displaced persons sheltered with local communities lies with local administrations.

“There has been an agreement reached within the state for local administrations to cover its own ratio for man-made and natural disasters, there is also a ratio which is sent up, so all levels must provide a response. Some of those sheltered with local communities rely on support from the zonal administration, there is support from the camp, the regional authority also provides its share, the federal authority provides its share, the zonal authority provides its share, the woreda authority provides its share, so if there is a disruption we will monitor it and ensure it is fulfilled, meaning we coordinate.”

It was not possible to include comments on the matter of the internally displaced persons from officials of the Disaster Risk and Management Liaison Offices of the North Shewa, South Wollo, and North Wollo administrations where more than 90,000 internally displaced persons are said to reside.

Esayas Gelaw

Negash Mehamed

Tamrat Dinsa

Article Translation