Government is not giving attention to IDPs in Dessie, Kombolcha — Wollo Hibret

Addis Ababa, October 22, 2021 – Wollo Hibret, one of the few indigenous humanitarian organizations serving victims of war, said that the concerned government body is not giving attention to the Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in Dessie and Kombolcha.

The management of Wollo Hibret who visited IDP camps in Dessie and Kombolcha said that there was no government leadership who receives and provides the needed services to the IDPs. The IDPs are usually received by community members or school teachers.

"Even after the IDPs arrive at the school where they are stationed, they are still suffering. The classrooms are very narrow and from 40 to 80 people are forced to stay inside one classroom. The classrooms are not meant to shelter IDPs. They may protect them from rain and the scorching sun but it is not designed for them to sleep in it. Sheltering many people in such classroom could also lead to the breakout of contagious diseases," said Wollo Hibret.

 

 

“There are those who are worn out from the travels, there are those who are weakened by hunger, fathers, mothers and children are struggling”, said the statement released by Wollo Hibret.

Wollo Hibret has been proactively engaged in delivering most needed aid in especially war ravaged areas in Wollo, Amhara region.

 

In addition to calling on the government to provide due attention to the IDPs, Wollo Hibret has also called on health professionals to lend their expertise to the IDPs. "The most complicated challenge we are facing is related to the health of the IDPs", said Wollo Hibret in a post shared on October 11, 2021.

Of the many support the local humanitarian group has been providing since its inception, recently, on October 17, 2021, Wollo Hibret conducted its 6th round medical support to pregnant women, lactating mothers and children in Habru town, North Wollo. With its mobile clinic, Wollo Hibret, has been mobilizing volunteer medical doctors who selflessly enter war torn zones to reach out to mothers and children who have been displaced by TPLF forces.

The indigenous humanitarian organization, which relies entirely with Ethiopian experts and funding from Ethiopians at home and abroad, not only provides medical support but also ensures IDPs receive food and shelter. It has a created an online crowd funding page to mobilize funds for its multifaceted services.

On October 16, it distributed over 20,000 biscuits to IDPs who arrived in Kombolcha town leaving their homes in North Wollo which is occupied by the TPLF terrorist group.

On October 12, it distributed 1,025 blankets, 100 quintals of flour and 100 mattresses to IDPs in Wag Himra and Zenzelema camps.

Volunteer medical doctors of Wollo Hibret and IDPs      [All pictures in this article a courtesy of Wollo Hibret]

The Wollo Hibret statement concluded warning that unless the government or private institutions consistently deliver food and ensure shelter for the IDPs, starvation and other sever complications may take place.