Drone strike on Ethiopia displacement camp kills at least 16 civilians, injures 22

Ethiopia: At least 16 civilians were killed and 22 others wounded after a drone attack struck a displacement camp in Ethiopia’s northern Amhara region on Thursday according to local media reports and conflict monitors.

Ethiopia: At least 16 civilians were killed and 22 others wounded after a drone attack struck a displacement camp in Ethiopia’s northern Amhara region on Thursday according to local media reports and conflict monitors.

The strike targeted the Hayiq Jari 2 Turk camp near the town of Hayiq around 430 kilometres northeast of the capital, Addis Ababa. Residents said those killed included three pregnant women, an eight-year-old girl and several students.

A witness told Ethiopian news outlet Addis Standard that the camp was hit at least five times with strikes occurring at intervals of approximately 15 minutes while displaced families were inside their shelters. The witness said residents had not expected the camp to become a target.

Conflict monitoring group Frontlines Ethiopia also recorded the October 29 attack. Other local accounts reported that both drone strikes and artillery fire had hit the surrounding area.

The assault reportedly set more than 20 shelters on fire forcing families to flee. Residents also said several children became separated from their relatives amid the chaos.

Those injured were initially taken to Hayiq Hospital while patients in critical condition were transferred to Dessie Hospital for specialised medical care.

The camp accommodates more than 1,800 internally displaced people many of whom escaped violence in Ethiopia’s Oromia region particularly the Wollega area.

The latest attack has further worsened conditions for families already struggling with limited access to food, medicines and adequate shelter. Humanitarian difficulties have increased following reductions in aid leaving displaced residents particularly vulnerable.

Amhara has faced sustained conflict since 2023 when fighting intensified between federal security forces and Fano militias. Military operations including drone attacks have affected communities across the region.

The incident comes as Ethiopia faces wider instability with renewed clashes reported in the northern Tigray region and growing tensions with neighbouring Eritrea.