23/12/2025
statment from Tigray Medical Association ማሕበር ሕክምና ትግራይ
Briefing Regarding the Hitsats makeshift IDP camp Humanitarian Crisis
A comprehensive health assessment conducted recently at the makeshift Internally Displaced Persons sites in Hitsats, a small village in the Northwestern Zone of Tigray, revealed several critical humanitarian and public health concerns. The total population in the assessed sites is estimated at 14,134 people, comprising 7,200 males and 6,943 females, organized into 4,625 households. Household leadership is nearly evenly distributed, with 2,253 males headed and 2,272 female headed households.
The assessment highlighted a substantial proportion of vulnerable populations. Children under five years of age number 4,342, while older adults above 60 years total 2,506. Of particular concern, 1,700 elderly individuals were identified as living without caregivers, indicating a severe gap in social and health support systems for this group.
In addition, the assessment identified 497 persons living with disabilities and revealed that more than 360 households are currently excluded from essential food assistance. * These findings point to critical protection, nutrition, and health service gaps that require urgent, coordinated humanitarian intervention to prevent further deterioration and loss of life at the Hitsats and other numerous makeshift IDPs camp across Tigray. (*data from the Tigray Regional Health Bureau)
Actions to Be Taken by the Tigray Medical Association
> 1. Support Vulnerable Groups
Coordinate organized meal preparation and distribution for elderly people, persons with disabilities, and others unable to prepare food independently.
> 2. Address Nutritional Gaps
Support malnutrition screening and advocate for targeted nutrition services for children, pregnant and lactating women, and other high-risk groups.
> 3. Restore Emergency Referrals
Advocate for and mobilize ambulance services to ensure timely emergency referrals from the camp.
> 4. Strengthen Health Service Delivery
Deploy medical professionals and advocate for essential medicines and supplies to maintain continuity of care.
> 5. Improve Diagnostic Capacity
Support the provision of basic diagnostic tools and point of care testing to strengthen clinical decision making.
Our association working with various stakeholders, including the Tigray Regional health Bureau to implement complementary response mechanisms that address these gaps, particularly in solutions not currently being conducted by other partners to avoid redundancy.
Stakeholders, partners, and health professionals are invited to support and collaborate with TMA.
Contact us via https://tmeda.org/
contact number +251944777711
email info@tmeda.org