Despite the deal, many refugees remained profoundly skeptical. Memories of mass killings and the scale of destruction—estimated by some researchers to have claimed between 385,000 and 600,000 lives—made the idea of returning home feel like a death sentence to some. Many stated they would only feel safe returning if there were fundamental changes in Ethiopia's leadership or guaranteed international protection. Life in the Camps: A Deteriorating Sanctuary
By late 2022, refugees reported that services in camps like Um Rakuba had significantly deteriorated. Shortages of food, clean water, and adequate sanitation became chronic. Life in the Camps: A Deteriorating Sanctuary By
Despite these hardships, children in camps like Tunaydbah continued to attend schools supported by organizations like UNICEF and the NRC , dreaming of becoming doctors and musicians to serve their people. The Looming Shadow The Looming Shadow The skepticism held by Tigrayan
The skepticism held by Tigrayan refugees in 2022 proved tragically prescient. While they feared returning to Ethiopia, they could not have known that their sanctuary in Sudan would itself collapse just months later. When war broke out in Sudan in April 2023, these same refugees found themselves trapped in a secondary conflict, forced to flee once again from the very places they had sought for safety. Expand map Refugee Infrastructure in Sudan Voices from Tigray Refugee Camp in Sudan - UNICEF Despite the deal