Despite the 2022 Pretoria peace agreement ending the Tigray conflict, hundreds of thousands of displaced people continue to endure harsh living conditions. Many remain stranded in temporary shelters, unable to return home due to ongoing instability.
Birhane Tafere, a 62-year-old displaced from Humera in November 2020, has spent over four years in an IDP camp. Now residing in Abiye Adi, near Mekelle, he describes life as filled with despair and uncertainty, blaming authorities for neglecting their responsibility to facilitate returns.
The interim administration of Tigray estimates nearly 1 million displaced individuals are unable to return due to militant control in western Tigray and the presence of Eritrean forces in border areas. In Shire, where temporary shelters house many, conditions are severe, with reports of malnutrition and inadequate medical care leading to deaths.
Opposition leaders accuse both regional and federal authorities of failing to address the crisis, with reports of hundreds dying due to lack of food and support. Plans to repatriate the displaced require an estimated $2.1 billion, but progress remains stalled, leaving many to face ongoing hardship.