A worsening drought is spreading across parts of Eastern, Central and South-East Tigray, with reports of failed crops, severe shortages of water and livestock feed, animal deaths and growing hunger among communities already weakened by war and displacement.
Information from Atsbi, Ganta Afeshum, Gulomakeda and Egela, together with data reported by Dimtsi Weyane from a government and non-governmental assessment in South-East Tigray, indicates that the crisis has moved beyond isolated pockets of poor rainfall and is developing into a broader humanitarian emergency.
44 of 80 Tabias Need Urgent Assistance
In South-East Tigray, the assessment found that 44 of the zone’s 80 local administrative areas called tabias require urgent assistance, while approximately 39,776 hectares of agricultural land are experiencing severe drought conditions.
All eight tabias in Wejerat/Tsira Adi are reported severely affected. In Hintalo, nine tabias are affected, five completely and four partially, while 11 tabias in Seventy Enderta are reported to be suffering severe drought affecting both people and livestock.
The assessment says hunger is already affecting people and animals in some communities, while livestock deaths and distress migration have begun.
South-East Zone officials have appealed for assistance from inside and outside Tigray. Tsehay Ayalew, the TPLF’s South-East Zone head and a Central Committee member, described communities as being caught "between drought and war."
More Than 53,000 at Risk in Egela
The situation is similarly alarming in Egela district in Central Tigray, where more than 53,000 residents, displaced people and returnees are reported to face severe food insecurity.
Of 6,097 hectares expected to be cultivated, 1,558.5 hectares, about 25.6 percent, were never planted because of insufficient rainfall. Another 902 hectares of planted crops reportedly dried up.
The livestock situation is deteriorating rapidly. 34,067 animals are reported to face severe shortages of pasture and water, with some cattle already dying.
More than 35 percent of the district’s population reportedly lacks safe drinking water, forcing some residents to rely on untreated river water. Among those facing particularly difficult conditions are 2,596 internally displaced people and 1,853 returnees.
Eastern Tigray Also Reporting Severe Conditions
In Atsbi, Gebrekidan (Dera), Haresaw, Zarema and Kalamin are among communities reported to be severely affected.
In Ganta Afeshum, at least seven tabias, Sasun, Betihawariat, Dibla Siet, Bukot, Beati May Mesanu, Kokhob Tsibah and May Tsaeda, are reported among the hardest hit.
The Gulomakeda District Council has separately warned that severe drought is already harming people and livestock and called for rapid assistance from government agencies, humanitarian organizations and people from the district living elsewhere.
The figures compiled by, among others, Goyteom Gebreegziabher from the different assessments should not simply be added together because geographical or population overlap may exist. UMD Media has also not independently verified every district-level figure. Nevertheless, their geographical spread indicates a crisis extending across multiple parts of Tigray.
The Next Question: How Will Aid Reach the People?
As the need for emergency assistance grows, another question is emerging: not only how much aid can be mobilized, but how it can reach affected people transparently and independently.
UMD Media spoke separately with sources in Tigray and at the federal level who expressed concern that emergency assistance should be delivered through a mechanism that prevents food, money and other humanitarian supplies from falling under the control of the TPLF or being diverted for political or military purposes.
The sources argued that concern over political control of assistance must not become an excuse for delaying aid to civilians. Instead, they called for a credible humanitarian delivery system with independent needs assessments, direct access to affected communities, transparent beneficiary registration and monitoring of aid from its point of entry to final distribution.
Such a mechanism could involve international humanitarian agencies and other independent partners working directly with local communities, while maintaining sufficient oversight to ensure assistance reaches drought-affected families according to need rather than political affiliation.
The federal government would consequently face its own responsibility, facilitating rapid and unrestricted humanitarian access rather than using disagreements over who controls distribution as a reason to withhold or delay assistance. Likewise, Tigray’s political and military authorities would need to guarantee humanitarian organizations independent access and distribution without political interference.
The Window for Prevention Is Closing
The drought is striking communities whose ability to withstand another major shock has already been badly weakened by the 2020-2022 war, prolonged displacement, destroyed livelihoods and interrupted agricultural production.
The reports of animals already dying and families beginning to migrate are particularly serious warning signs. Once livestock herds collapse and households exhaust their remaining assets, preventing hunger becomes considerably more difficult and expensive.
Emergency food, livestock feed, safe drinking water, medicine and livelihood assistance are therefore needed now.
The challenge should not become a choice between sending aid without accountability and withholding aid because of fears of diversion. A third option is urgently required: mobilize assistance immediately, deliver it independently, monitor it transparently and ensure it reaches the people for whom it is intended.
For affected communities, the question is increasingly not whether the drought will become serious. Its consequences have already begun, and the remaining question is whether assistance can reach them before the crisis becomes catastrophic.
Originally published on UMD Media Facebook on 2026-08-30T09:00:00-06:00. Source: https://www.facebook.com/getachew.UMDMedia
