Critical Humanitarian Shortages Threaten IDPs in Amhara Region

Internally displaced persons (IDPs) residing in camps in Debre Birhan are facing severe and worsening shortages of essential supplies, including food, medicine, and basic healthcare. This crisis is largely driven by humanitarian organizations scaling back or completely withdrawing their operations in the area due to severe international funding constraints. Concurrently, fresh displacement resulting from ongoing conflicts in nearby areas continues to send more people to these shelters, placing immense additional pressure on already overstretched local resources. This localized emergency mirrors a much broader and protracted displacement crisis affecting the entire Amhara region. As of early 2025, estimates indicate that over 660,000 displaced individuals were residing across 31 IDP sites and collective centers spread throughout seven administrative zones. North and South Wollo zones bear the heaviest burden, hosting approximately 55% of all displacement sites in the region. Among the most heavily impacted facilities are the Bakelo and China camps located in Debre Birhan, as well as the Jara IDP Center in North Wollo.