News: Quake-hit evacuees in Afar face new relocation as original shelters deemed ‘high-risk’

Addis Abeba – Following the designation of the original evacuation sites—where households displaced by recent seismic activity in the Afar region had taken shelter—as “high-risk areas,” evacuees are set to be relocated to a newly designated site in the Amibara district.
In its latest update, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in collaboration with IASC cluster coordinators and partners, reported that “experts from Semera University and Addis Ababa University have determined that the original evacuation sites are located in high-risk areas.” According to the UN agency, these sites will be decommissioned, and evacuees will be transferred to a “safer site.”
“The Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) cluster has drafted a response strategy based on community profiles and available land,” the organization stated. “Plans are underway to deploy a team for an area-based response, which will identify suitable locations for essential services within the general area while prioritizing durable solutions from the outset.”
In its situation report published on 31 January, 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) also confirmed that relocating displaced individuals from high-risk areas is in progress.
Citing the Afar Regional Health Bureau Emergency Operations Center and site visit observations, the WHO reported that Internally Displaced People (IDP) sites currently accommodate 54,636 individuals (9,106 households), including 6,229 children under five and 1,575 pregnant and lactating women.
“The area is vulnerable to outbreaks including cholera, dengue fever, chikungunya, and malaria—as well as malnutrition,” the report stated. “The IDP camp is located near a cholera-affected area, with the most recent case reported on 06 January, 2025.”
Seismic activity continues to displace households across the Afar, Oromia, and Amhara regions, with 232 earthquakes recorded since December 21, the strongest reaching a magnitude of 5.7. However, seismic activity has recently declined—dropping from approximately 60 earthquakes during a peak seven-day period to five recorded in the past week with magnitudes ranging from 4.4 to 4.7.
According to a recent report, more than 55,000 individuals have entered temporary shelters, and they are receiving humanitarian assistance after being displaced by recurring earthquakes in the Dulesa and Awash Fentale districts of Gabi Rasu Zone.
This displacement adds to the 10,000 people affected in the North Shewa Zone of the Amhara region, which borders Afar, and the 20,000 individuals affected in the Oromia region.

Citing local authorities in Oromia, the latest update from OCHA revealed that continued seismic activity necessitates the evacuation of an additional 10,000 individuals in the region. This raises the total number of individuals being relocated in Oromia to approximately 30,000.
A recent seismic impact assessment conducted in the Fentale district of the East Shewa Zone, Oromia region, has revealed that humanitarian needs in the area remain “severe” as communities continue to endure the cumulative effects of multiple crises, including conflict and drought.
Published last week, the assessment report highlighted a critical situation at the lower administrative level, with Daga Hedu Kebele classified as facing “severe” humanitarian needs, while Benti Kebele was identified as experiencing “extremely severe” conditions. The report also identified additional vulnerable kebeles near the Fentale Mountain epicenter, including Haro Kersa, Debiti, and Kobo.
In its latest update, OCHA emphasized that in Oromia, a substantial number of evacuees still lack adequate shelter, attributing this gap to an “insufficient response to provide safe, temporary housing.” This shortfall stems from the escalating number of evacuated households, which has risen from an initial 3,502 to 5,500.
“To date, 1,857 households in Oromia have received partial emergency shelter support consisting of one plastic sheet and one floor mat each, provided by the Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commission,” OCHA stated. “In addition, 533 households in the Afar region remain without assistance due to resource shortages.”
Addis Standard previously published an article highlighting the plight of displaced persons living in overcrowded shelters with limited access to food, water, and essential resources. Those affected have reported that assistance from the government and humanitarian organizations has been “inadequate.” AS