The echoes of war between Ethiopia’s government forces and Tigrayan fighters left devastating marks, costing hundreds of thousands their lives and displacing countless souls. With uneasy truce, many still find themselves wrestling with troubling social and economic hurdles.
The displaced in Tigray are in limbo, wondering when, if ever, they might find their way back to their homes. Image: Million Haileselassie Brhane/DW
Ah, the heart had hopes when conflict seemingly vanished behind a curtain of peace. Pretoria, South Africa, bore witness to a sigh of relief when the peace deal was penned in November 2022. Yet, beneath the quiet surface, the turbulence continues for those uprooted by the Tigray conflict, a struggle involving Ethiopia’s National Defense Forces and Eritrean allies clashing with Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) warriors.
Sixty-two-year-old Birhane Tafere was forced to desert his Humera home, nestled in Ethiopia’s northwestern stretch, back in November 2020. Count the seasons or the hardships, for it’s been four grueling years he’s spent in an IDP camp. Now occupying makeshift lodgings in Abiye Adi, some 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Tigray’s bustling hub, Mekelle, Birhane is joined by countless others left stranded in despair.
“Existential angst is our unwelcome companion. Dread lingers over what tomorrow conceals,” Birhane shared gloomily with DW.
“Those in power bicker over their thrones while our pleas echo unheard and unattended,” he added, painting a grim picture of neglect.
1 million walking lost
An estimated 1 million lives have been uprooted, unable to circle back home, according to Tigray’s interim leadership.
The displacement’s seismic wave has crashed into the social and financial fabric, with danger zones ruled by militant hands in western Tigray, and Eritrean forces clutching the border. Safe return feels like a mirage in this bleak desert. Is life more than mere survival in Tigray?
Meet Negasi Marek, a father, his four young ones gathered under the same uncertain roof, a school turned sanctuary in Shire city. This isn’t just any primary school, it’s Tsehaye—the refuge for many, where life’s basic dignities are missing. When whispers transform into heart-stopping reality, death lurks.
“In a fortnight, we’ve lost four souls to the merciless scourge of destitution,” Negasi recounted somberly.
“Forget living; we’re merely existing in suffering. Age-worn bodies, diabetics with unsweetened lives, and the hypertensive left unmedicated. Is there solace here? Nay, just the cold hand of death,” Negasi elaborated, almost as if sharing a chilling fireside tale.
Misery without reprieve
The finger of blame, according to Salsay Weyane Tigray—a voice of opposition—points sternly at both regional and federal stewards. The Chairman, Alula Hailu, voiced frustrations to DW regarding the unyielding presence of Eritrean forces around Irob, Badme, and wider Tigray stretches.
“The duties and obligations of Tigray’s governing bodies and Ethiopia’s federal administration lie unfulfilled,” Alula said. Words unfulfilled are like untrodden paths. Thus, tents house the forgotten, their roofs stitched from neglect.
“From Badme’s displaced alone, nearly 600 of the 10,625 have succumbed to the interlinked scourges of hunger and neglect,” Alula lamented, noting the party’s consistent outcry concerning the tribulations of the displaced.
“Alas, Shire’s displaced endure immense suffering. It’s an epidemic beyond borders,” Alula concluded, his voice a tapestry of urgency and exasperation.
Funds for freedom?
Plans shimmer on the horizon, devised by Tigray’s interim regime to usher return for those far from their natural habitats. However, this Labor of Hercules demands a treasure trove: $2.1 billion (€2 billion) in silver and the political sorcery needed to repatriate these wanderers.
Engagement with UN benefactors and sundry stakeholders is in motion to unlock the necessary coffers.
Despite boasts, whispers, and promises of repatriation reverberating the corridors of power, tangible change remains conspicuously absent.
Edited by: Chrispin Mwakideu
What does the future hold for those whose past has been snatched? As they stand at the cusp of uncertainty, the world watches and waits. Can whispers of change be translated into action?
Report by Axadle
