This World Refugee Day, millions of people uprooted by the escalation in violence in Tigray are still unable to return to their homes.
The violence in Ethiopia began at the end of 2020 and has affected the lives of millions of people, both in Tigray, and in surrounding areas like Amhara and Afar. This has forced tens of thousands of people to cross the border into Sudan, where humanitarian organisations like Islamic Relief provide urgent support to the influx of refugees.
Ethiopia has for years been home to people who have fled natural disasters from Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea and South Sudan. The region is also facing an escalating food insecurity crisis, due to the longer periods of drought which have impacted the agriculture that the region relies on.
This has set the country back in all the healthcare gains it made, with many people facing malnutrition as they are unable to access health facilities due to the internal conflict which has worsened the refugee crisis in the Horn of Africa.
The United Nations estimates that 2.5 million people in Ethiopia have fled their homes to seek asylum elsewhere in neighbouring countries or have found themselves internally displaced within Tigray, Amhara and Afar.
“We had to walk 50 kilometres to reach safety. We had to spend a night on the road with our children,” says Aminat, 29. She and her children are among the millions of people who have had to leave everything behind.
“Upon our arrival, we were assisted by Afar Region’s Disaster Prevention and Food Security Office. Then we received support from Islamic Relief, which has been lifesaving.”
To reach safety, most people have had to walk for hours, sometimes days, in gruelling conditions. Not knowing where their friends and relatives are and if they are still alive. Shelter, food, sanitation and clean drinking water are limited in the area, but desperately needed for the increasing number of refugees. Most people have had to sleep in the open air or under trees along the road.
Aminat and her 2 daughters had to flee their hometown after they were attacked by armed groups in the middle of the night. Like tens of thousands of others who fled their homes, Aminat could take very little with her.
“When our houses were targeted by men with weapons, we ran away with only our clothes on. We could not even take our identity cards or any of our valuable possessions.”
Yet she considers herself fortunate because she and her children escaped with their lives and are now being supported by Islamic Relief.
“We got lucky,” she says. “So many people, including our friends and neighbours, have died in the conflict and en route to safety points. Their bodies aren’t even buried. I’m glad we survived.”
Memories of happier times at home
Now living in a refugee camp, Aminat struggles with the memories of her old life before the conflict. Many of the refugees have skills and academic qualifications. At home, Aminat obtained her bachelor’s degree in midwifery.
“I was working in the government’s health centre located 12 kilometres away from Chifra town, where I had a good paying job as a midwife that I was passionate about. I had a good life; do you know how it feels to be ripped from that and suddenly being displaced with young children?”
Now she worries constantly about how she can keep her children safe, how to feed them, whether they have to run again or if they will ever return home.
Her story, sadly, echoes that of the millions of refugees worldwide facing uncertain futures.
Islamic Relief provides life-saving support to support people like Aminat and her family. In a world where there are so many conflicts and emergencies, we have seen the difference it makes when the world comes together to support refugees.
The Ukraine crisis has showed us that, and it is important to push for a fairer and more humane approach to people from other parts of the world seeking protection.
“We are very happy that you came to our aid and helped us. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. But, please don’t forget about us, we are still suffering – that hasn’t changed – but with your support we can survive.”
Inspired by our faith, Islamic Relief has been providing emergency assistance to those affected. We have provided refugees like Aminat and her family with food packages and other essential items. We are helping displaced families survive with dignity, find stability and to hold onto hope.
Join us in standing in solidarity with families forced to flee: sign and share the #withrefugees petition and donate to Islamic Relief to support our work to enable refugees to live dignified lives.
