DW Amharic - Over 100,000 displaced residents have not received food relief for over a month
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Disclaimer: This is an English translation of an Amharic article taken from DW Amharic and is intended solely for information purposes.
DW Amharic - Over 100,000 displaced residents have not received food relief for over a month
Esayas Gelaw
March 5, 2026 (Yekatit 26, 2018 EC)
Residents that were displaced from Alamata, Korem, Ofla, Zata and Raya Alamata to Kobo and Sekota towns have not received any food assistance for over one month exposing them to hunger, they say. Over 100,000 persons displaced from six districts have not received any support from authorities which have only collected information.
The North Wollo Disaster Risk and Management Office said they were still collecting information.
In previous reporting from Deutsche Welle the North Wollo Zone Zonal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Commission had said food relief would be delivered to those in need within two days. Despite this, over one month later the office has not completed registering displaced persons.
Over 100,000 residents displaced from over six districts have not received any food assistance over the past month leaving them suffering from hunger, they say. Residents were displaced from Alamata, Korem, Ofla, Zata and Raya Alamata to Kobo and Sekota due to violence and have said they left behind their property and homes leaving them exposed to severe hunger.
“When you are forced to leave your home you suffer, the journey is harsh and begging isn’t an option, what can you do when everyone is affected, residents of Kobo have provided shelter for the third or fourth time now. The situation now is particularly difficult. If authorities don’t provide relief the situation will worsen.”
Residents displaced from Alamata and surroundings to Sekota town have taken shelter in religious institutions however the Waghemara National Zone Disaster Risk and Management Commission's Office of the Coordinator has been unwilling to provide food relief, they say.
“Our current situation is difficult, we didn’t expect it would happen all of a sudden so we were forced to leave and arrived here. When we arrived in Sekota our administrators didn’t come with us so we have struggled. They’re telling us we have no food guarantees because we don’t have representation.”
A displaced mother in Kobo city says their main problem is lack of food. She says they have been unable to get any food assistance. The able bodied have tried physical labor to earn food. However, those with physical disabilities have resorted to begging.
“My brother what can we do, when we express our problem there is no one to provide help, everyone is facing difficulty. Some have spent their nights in the open, the women try to do day work. There is no assistance, everyone has bags and those with physical disabilities have resorted to begging even the children are begging.”
Even now people are arriving in Kobo city after being displaced from their homes and the people arriving have said there is a troubling atmosphere of war, leading to rising numbers of displaced persons.
“Aside from counting people, we haven’t received anything, there are expecting mothers, pregnant women, elderly persons and youths. And overall, the number is rising by the day as the cruelty and suffering in the area worsens, and there is an atmosphere of war as preparations are underway.”
Over 100,000 displaced persons have been counted according to former Alamata City mayor and IDP coordinator Ato Siyum Arbisie who says IDPs are suffering from hunger as information collection efforts faced challenges.
“There are over 100,000 people from six districts, there is sever hunger. We are passing through a tragic period. The process of information gathering should not have been this way, we have had to come here on numerous occasions for information gathering but there was no relief distribution.”
Head of the Office of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Commission of the North Wollo Zone Administration, Ato Alemu Yimer, on his end says they have not completed information gathering even after one month.
“We are currently undertaking information gathering. Up until now the IDPs say they have faced problems and hunger. It has been almost two months. But even one day is a lot because they cannot be supported by locals, this is not sustainable, we can see the living situation. Authorities are still undertaking their process.”
We contacted the head of the Waghemara National Zone Administration Disaster Risk and Management Commission, Ato Mihret Melaku, for comment regarding the situation facing residents displaced from Alamata and surroundings to Sekota town, but he was unable to provide a response. However, the head of the North Wollo Zone Disaster Risk and Management Commission, Ato Alemu Yimer, said the problem would be resolved and food would be delivered within a few days.
Esayas Gelaw
Yohannes Gebre Egziabher
Shewaye Legesse
