OMM Newsroom
At least 16 civilians were killed and 22 others injured on Thursday when a drone struck a camp for people displaced by conflict in Ethiopia’s northern Amhara region, according to local media and conflict monitors. Anadolu Agency reported the attack.
The strike hit the Hayiq Jari 2 Turk camp near the town of Hayiq, about 430 kilometres (267 miles) northeast of the capital, Addis Ababa. Residents said those killed included three pregnant women, an 8-year-old girl and students.
“The drone struck the camp five times, at least, at intervals of 15 minutes, while IDPs were inside their shelters. We never expected a drone to attack the camp,” a witness told Ethiopian news outlet “Addis Standard”.
Conflict tracker Frontlines Ethiopia also documented the Oct. 29 attack. Other local accounts reported both drone and artillery fire in the area.
Residents said more than 20 shelters caught fire, forcing families to flee and separating children from their relatives.
The injured were taken to Hayiq Hospital. Those in serious condition were transferred to Dessie Hospital for specialized treatment.
The camp houses more than 1,800 internally displaced people, many of whom fled violence in the Oromia region, including the Wollega area.
The strike further strained humanitarian conditions for families already facing shortages of food, medicine and shelter following reductions in aid.
Amhara has seen prolonged fighting between federal security forces and Fano militias since 2023. Military operations, including drone strikes, have affected civilian communities.
The violence comes amid broader instability in Ethiopia, including renewed fighting in the northern Tigray region and escalating tensions with neighbouring Eritrea.
