Skip to main content
Home International Committee of the Red Cross
Find help Donate
Back
  • Happening now
    Happening now

    Discover what’s new

    Stay updated with the latest news and ongoing initiatives of the ICRC.

    Latest operations

    Featured

    • A community kitchen in Myanmar
      Myanmar: One month on, earthquake survivors face continuing challenges
    • Red Cross Field Hospital aerial shot
      The Red Cross Field Hospital one year on: A lifeline and a stark reminder in Ga…
    • Red Cross staff at a water distribution
      Every attack on a humanitarian is an attack on the community they served. A sta…
  • Who we are
    Who we are

    We are the International Committee of the Red Cross

    Neutral, impartial, and independent. Discover our values and mission.

    Discover who we are
    • About us
      Our rich history, our mandate and mission, and our Fundamental Principles are behind the work we do to protect and save lives.
    • How we are run
      Our President and leadership, our finances and our accountability ensure the integrity of our humanitarian operations.
    • International Red Cross & Red Crescent Movement
      The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is the largest humanitarian network in the world.
  • What we do
    What we do

    Our work to protect people affected by conflict

    The ICRC responds quickly and efficiently to help people affected by armed conflict.

    All our activities

    In focus

    • ICRC working with the Myanmar Red Cross Society to support people displaced by violence in Pin Laung and Hsi Hseng, to provide emergency aid. Photographer: Thang Khan Sian Khai
      Protection: Upholding the rights of people in conflict
    • Reconnecting families: Preventing separation, searching for the missing, reunit…
    • Helping detainees: Protecting and assisting people deprived of their liberty
  • Where we work
    Where we work

    Explore our global reach

    We have offices in over 90 countries around the world, providing assistance and protection to people affected by conflict.

    ICRC around the world

    Key operations

    • Afghanistan
    • Democratic Republic of the Congo
    • Ethiopia
    • Israel and the occupied territories
    • Myanmar
    • Sudan
    • Syria
    • Ukraine
    • Yemen
  • Law & Policy
    Law & Policy

    Law & Policy

    Gain insights into the ICRC's role in developing and promoting international humanitarian law and policy.

    Discover more
    • Geneva Conventions and the law
      Even wars have rules. The Geneva Conventions are at the core of international humanitarian law.
    • Topics, debates and disarmament
      Weapons and disarmament, protected persons and other contemporary challenges for international humanitarian law.
    • Teaching IHL, research, Advisory Service and other resources
      We support the teaching, learning and implementation of humanitarian law principles.
  • Support us
    Support us

    Partner with us

    We invite organizations, institutions and philanthropists to join us in our mission to alleviate the suffering of those affected by armed conflict.

    How to partner with us

    Support us

    Find out how you as an individual can contribute to our humanitarian efforts to help people suffering because of armed conflict.

    How to support us
    • Ukraine: the crisis continues
    • Urgent: Israel-Gaza emergency appeal
    • Myanmar_Red Cross earthquake
      Urgent help needed: Myanmar earthquakes
  • Find help
  • Donate
  • Events
  • Contact us
  • Report an incident of misconduct
  • Work with us
  • FAQ
ICRC Websites
Photo gallery
06-04-2021

Ethiopia: Humanitarian needs continue to grow, as more people flee their homes

  • Ethiopia
  • Protected persons: Children
  • COVID-19 pandemic
  • Water and habitat

Share

  • Share on X
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Facebook
ICRC/ Alyona Synenko

Almost five months after the beginning of the fighting in Tigray, people continue to flee their homes in search of safety. Every day, newly displaced people arrive to the main towns, where they stay with the host communities or in improvised sites, like schools. According to estimates, about one million people are displaced within Tigray region.

ICRC/ Alyona Synenko

In Axum, several schools have been temporarily converted into shelters for people who have left their homes. Here, every gram of food and every drop of water counts. Dozens of families are sleeping side by side on the floor, as the threat of the Covid-19 pandemic looms.

ICRC/ Alyona Synenko

Thousands of families were separated when they fled their homes. Even as communication networks are being restored, many people still don’t know what happened to their loved ones. The ICRC works closely with the Ethiopian Red Cross Society and Sudanese Red Crescent Society to restore contact between separated family members. Between November 2020 and February 2021, some 4,400 displaced families and some 13,000 refugees re-established contact through phone calls and “safe and well” messages.

ICRC/ Alyona Synenko

Children who become separated from their parents when they flee their homes are extremely vulnerable.

ICRC/ Alyona Synenko

In late March, Dominik Stillhart, Director of Operations for the ICRC, visited Tigray region of Ethiopia. “Needs are overwhelming, and more people are still arriving in urban centers with nothing but their clothes. Together with the Ethiopian Red Cross, we are working tirelessly to deliver more aid including into rural areas,” Mr. Stillhart said.

ICRC/ Alyona Synenko

The fighting disrupted the harvest season and people lost their stores and livelihoods when they fled their homes. Among the displaced people, food is one of the main worries. To make the most efficient use of the available supplies people living in the sites for the displaced often cook together.

ICRC/ Alyona Synenko

Displaced people have been relying on the generosity of the host communities. The economic impact of the ongoing violence, however, has been severe and it has been increasingly difficult for the host communities to bear the brunt of the continuing displacement.

ICRC/ Alyona Synenko

In the capital city of Mekelle shops and markets have reopened, and some services, like telecommunication networks are functioning again, but the situation in the region remains volatile and people live in constant fear. They don’t know what tomorrow will bring and when they will be able to return to their homes. The return to normality remains fragile.

ICRC/ Alyona Synenko

In the town of Axum, the population has doubled since the beginning of the crisis. The sharp increase in urban population put a strain on the essential public services like water, sanitation and healthcare.

Almost five months, since violence flared up in Tigray region of Ethiopia, people continue to flee their homes and humanitarian needs increase. Last month, Dominik Stillhart, ICRC Director of Operations, visited sites for displaced people in the town of Axum to discuss with them the main humanitarian needs, as the ICRC is preparing to scale up its activities in the region.

Related articles

The ICRC works with the Myanmar Red Cross Society (MRCS) to deliver assistance to remote areas.
Photo gallery
15-01-2025

Myanmar: The year 2024 in pictures

The ICRC team pitcured with community of Gulbahar, Kapisa
Photo gallery
31-12-2024

Afghanistan: A year of responding to numerous humanitarian challenges

Photo gallery
25-01-2024

Syria: 2023 in pictures

More photo galleries

Topic-dedicated ICRC websites

Explore our blogs, apps, reviews and other resources dedicated to humanitarian impact, insight, law and policy.

ICRC Websites

Direct access

  • Find help
  • Donate
  • Events
  • Contact us
  • Report an incident of misconduct
  • Work with us
  • FAQ

Newsletter

Fields marked with * are required
To learn how we process your data, visit our Privacy Notice.
  • Accessibility
  • Copyright
  • Privacy policy
  • Tax deduction
  • Privacy Settings
  • Community guidelines

Terms and conditions - ICRC ©2025 - All right reserved