Ethiopia Drone Strike Hits Displaced Camp

RT

Ask Rio Times

This story and the bigger picture.

Ask

Open the full Ask Rio Times →

RTAsk Rio TimesWhat this means, and what's next›

ETHIOPIA · BREAKING

Drones struck a camp for displaced people in Ethiopia’s Amhara region on Thursday 29 October 2026, and residents say at least 16 people died. A hospital source says 36 wounded people reached the nearest hospital, among them eight children and ten women.

For US readers, the strike is the latest sign that civilians in northern Ethiopia are paying for a war between the army and local militias, in a country where US aid groups, investors and a large diaspora have stakes. Our guide to who runs Ethiopia’s economy explains the government behind the army.

What Happened

The camp, which residents call Jari 2 and some call the Turk camp, lies in Tehuledere district of South Wollo zone, not far from the town of Hayk. Three residents and a hospital source say the first drone hit at about 11:00 local time on Thursday, and at least four strikes followed, 15 to 20 minutes apart.

The drones hit shelters made of plastic sheeting, where families were living, and the sheeting burned. One resident said people burned inside their shelters, and another said a drone kept circling over the camp between strikes.

How Many Died

Three residents say 18 people died, 16 at the camp and two more after reaching a hospital. A camp coordinator, who asked not to be named, told a different story on Friday 30 October: 14 were buried on Thursday and two more died in hospital, a total of 16.

A hospital source in Hayk says 36 wounded people arrived at the town’s hospital around 14:00, including eight children aged three and older and ten women. Twelve people with heavy bleeding, head wounds and broken bones were sent on to the larger hospital in Dessie, and eleven remain in Hayk.

Early accounts put the toll as low as 14, and nobody has counted independently. Residents say the dead were buried together in one pit inside the camp because leaving the area was unsafe and nobody could guard the bodies overnight.

In Plain English

An internally displaced person is someone forced from home who stays inside the same country. The people in this camp are Amhara families who were driven out of western Oromia, in the Wollega area, about four years ago.

Fano is the name for loosely linked Amhara armed groups that have fought Ethiopia‘s federal army since 2023. Residents say Fano fighters operate in areas near the camp, but three of them say there was no fighting at the camp on the day of the strike.

What the Government Says

The army’s communications office and the South Wollo zone administration did not answer calls and messages on Friday 30 October. We found no public statement from the federal government on the strike.

Rights groups have documented earlier drone strikes that hit civilians in Amhara. Residents did not say who flew the drones, and nobody has claimed the attack.

A Camp Emptying Out

Residents say many families left the camp after the strike for fear of more attacks, and most of those leaving are women, children and older people. The camp coordinator says no food aid has reached the camp for four months, and that drone flights and heavy gunfire continued around it on Friday.

People are carrying frail relatives on sticks and cloth towards the main road, because there is no transport. Men have gone into nearby forests, residents say, and nobody can say where the camp’s people will find shelter.

What It Means for You

The State Department’s Ethiopia advisory has been Level 3, Reconsider Travel, and names Amhara among the regions Americans should avoid. Check the current text of the advisory before any trip, and do not travel to Amhara.

Aid groups, including US-funded ones, should expect new needs in South Wollo for shelter, food and care for burns and wounds. Investors with Ethiopian exposure should watch whether strikes on civilians draw US or European criticism, because that pressure can shape aid and trade talks.

The strike follows the church-reported killings in Arsi, which we covered in our report on the Oromia attacks. Together they show how many parts of Ethiopia are now unsafe for civilians.

What Is Not Known

It is not known who flew the drones or why the camp was hit. The final death toll is not settled, because counts run from 14 to 18 and some of the wounded may still die.

No independent group has visited the camp, and the army has not said whether it carried out any operation nearby on Thursday. It is also unclear where the families who left the camp are now.

More: Africa news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Happened at the Displaced Camp in South Wollo?

Drones struck a camp for displaced people in Tehuledere district, Amhara region, at about 11:00 local time on Thursday 29 October 2026. Residents count 16 to 18 dead and a hospital source counts 36 wounded.

Who Is Responsible for the Strike?

Nobody has claimed it and the army has not commented. Residents did not say who flew the drones, and it is not known.

Is It Safe for Americans to Travel to Amhara?

No. The State Department advises Americans to avoid Amhara and rates Ethiopia Level 3, Reconsider Travel; check the current advisory before any trip.

Sources: Statements by residents of the Jari 2 camp, a camp coordinator and a hospital source in Hayk, South Wollo zone, 29 and 30 October 2026; requests for comment to the Ethiopian National Defense Force communications office and the South Wollo zone administration, 30 October 2026; UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Ethiopia, 30 October 2026; Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, 30 October 2026; US State Department, Ethiopia Travel Advisory, 30 October 2026.

Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error