Lives Lost Before Our Eyes: Starvation in Tigray’s Hitsats IDPs Camp.

Mekelle, Tigray — Thousands of people who have been forcibly displaced from their homes for more than five years are now facing the gravest threat to their survival. What began as years of hunger and misery has escalated into a severe humanitarian crisis, placing the lives of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) on the brink of death.

Elderly parents, children, and women in the Hitsats IDP center are enduring starvation and extreme suffering due to a lack of medical care and basic services.

According to reports, more than 330 people have already died from hunger and disease in the Hitsats camp, located in northwestern Tigray. The displaced were forced to flee Western Tigray following the genocidal war waged against Tigray in 2020.

In addition to the deaths already recorded, more than 1,700 IDPs remain in urgent need of emergency assistance.

The Tslal Civil Society of Western Tigray, an organization advocating for the rights and grievances of Tigrayan IDPs and migrants, described the crisis as the “scepter of hunger” hanging over the displaced community. The group warned that the situation has escalated beyond a humanitarian problem, now amounting to a matter of life and death.

Tslal Civil Society has appealed to local and international actors—including private entrepreneurs, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and humanitarian agencies—to act swiftly. The organization stressed the need for immediate intervention to save lives that are being lost “before our eyes.”