Drone strikes kill at least 15 at displacement camp in Ethiopia’s Amhara region

At least 15 people were killed when a series of drone strikes hit a camp for displaced families in Ethiopia’s Amhara region on Thursday, 29 October. The dead included five children, according to sources involved in the rescue operation.

The strikes hit the Jari 2 camp near the town of Hayk, about 400 kilometres north-east of the capital, Addis Ababa. The camp is home to more than 1,700 people who fled earlier violence, many of them from the Wollega area of Oromia region. Witnesses described several explosions while families were inside their shelters, and said more than 20 shelters caught fire.

It was not clear who carried out the attack or why the camp was targeted. Rescue sources said there had been no fighting in the area when the strikes took place, although members of the Amhara Fano armed movement had been nearby. No group has claimed responsibility, and a spokesperson for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The exact toll was still being counted on Friday, 30 October. One outlet reported 16 people killed and 22 injured, while rescue sources cited 36 injured. Survivors were sheltering in a school, and the injured were taken to hospital in Hayk, with serious cases referred on to Dessie.

Why it matters

The attack struck people who had already fled one conflict only to be caught in another. Displaced families in Amhara have faced shrinking food, shelter and medical help as aid groups scale back, leaving camps like Jari 2 with little protection.

It also shows how far the renewed war in northern Ethiopia has spread beyond the front lines. Fighting returned in September, when a rebel alliance led by Tigrayan forces launched an offensive, and government forces have since retaken Tigray’s capital, Mekelle. Civilians in camps, towns and villages across Tigray, Amhara and Afar are now in the path of drone strikes and ground fighting.

What happens next

Aid groups will need access to the camp to confirm the death toll, treat the injured and help survivors who lost their shelters and belongings. Attention will also turn to who ordered the strikes, with no side yet accepting blame. Until that is established, displaced families across Amhara face the same risk: camps meant as places of safety are not being spared.

Sources

– https://srnnews.com/strikes-on-camp-in-ethiopia-kill-at-least-15-sources-say/ (Reuters, via SRN News, 30 October 2026)

– https://addisstandard.com/drone-strike-kills-16-injures-22-at-hayiq-jari-2-idp-camp-in-amhara-region/ (Addis Standard, 30 October 2026)

– https://ynews.digital/headline-2/ethiopia-drone-strikes-kill-16-amhara-idp-camp/ (Agence France-Presse, via Ynews, 30 October 2026)

This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.