Medicine Shortages And Natural Disaster Risks Threaten Millions Of IDPs

A severe medicine shortage and the devastating impact of natural disasters are compounding a dire humanitarian crisis for countless internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Amhara and Tigray regions, according to a September 2025 report from a network of NGOs and UN agencies.

The ‘Monthly Protection Overview’ published by Global Protection Cluster, a group of humanitarian organizations led by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), reveals that Tigray is facing critically low supplies of essential drugs for chronic diseases like HIV, tuberculosis, and diabetes, severely undermining the health of vulnerable populations.

Reports indicate that the Tigray region hosts over one million of the 4.5 million IDPs estimated to reside in Ethiopia, the majority of whom were driven from their homes by conflict.

Meanwhile, IDP camps across Amhara have been swept up by heavy windstorms, destroying shelters and worsening living conditions, while camps in Gambella are being overwhelmed by tens of thousands of people displaced by seasonal flooding.

The report indicates that heavy windstorms have severely damaged and disrupted shelters in IDP camps spanning North Wollo, North Shewa, and North Gondar, intensifying the humanitarian crisis for the displaced population.

More than 75 percent of IDP shelters in North Shewa have been damaged by heavy wind and rain, according to Global Protection Cluster.

IDPs in Amhara face further hardship as food assistance has been delayed for more than two months, and a chronic lack of firewood has made it difficult for IDPs to cook their meals.

“The ongoing conflict and persistent road blockages contribute to a growing shortage of essential commodities, resulting in noticeable price increases,” reads the report.

The region’s transportation infrastructure has been severely impacted by the conflict, now in its third year. Reports of kidnappings targeting truck and cross-country bus drivers are common, and trade and supply chains have been disrupted by the insecurity, according to the report.

It highlights rising security concerns in IDP camps across the country.

“Risks remain high in newly accessible areas of Tigray, particularly in IDP camps where inadequate shelter, poor sanitation, and lack of lighting continue to expose women and girls to harm,” reads the report.

In Gambella, women face a heightened risk of gender-based violence when walking long distances to fetch water.

“Women moving long distances on foot to fetch water at heightened risk of GBV and involved in conflict with the nearby community members and South Sudanese asylum seekers on sharing the waterpoint,” reads the report.

Global Protection Cluster also raises concern about rising incidence of child marriage in the Amhara region, and warns that a lack of support is forcing more and more displaced children to drop out of school.