The number of people fleeing their homes along the Benishangul‐Gumuz border has surged in recent days, with shelters now holding roughly 45,000 displaced individuals—up from 40,000 last week, Sheger FM 102.1 reported. Families from Mao Komo special woreda, Kamashi zone, western Gondar districts like Dangur and Mandurah, and parts of Metekel and Guba have arrived at emergency sites, many arriving with only the clothes on their backs. Commissioner Mohammed Abdulaziz confirmed that entire kebeles near the Oromia frontier were emptied and that more than 5,000 residents of Kamashi and over 1,300 in western Gondar have been uprooted by rising tensions.
Aid workers under the regional Disaster Management Commission are distributing food, blankets, and other essentials at all shelters, but participation from non-governmental organizations remains limited, slowing the relief operation. Officials from Oromia, Amhara and Benishangul-Gumuz administrations have begun joint talks aimed at restoring calm in the border districts and ensuring safe returns for those who fled. Sheger FM 102.1 reported that security patrols are being planned, though no specific timeline has been announced.
Enat Party has issued an urgent appeal to federal authorities, warning of a humanitarian catastrophe if reinforcements are not deployed immediately. In a statement they say four people have already been killed and several women raped in Debate woreda of Metekel zone, where armed groups are said to exercise full control. Militias and police reportedly laid down their weapons, while community leaders who refused to disarm faced ransom demands of up to one million birr. The so-called “waranota” fighters are accused of executing anyone suspected of hiding arms or funds, and residents fear they will be singled out one by one without government intervention. Enat Party insists that only the swift arrival of federal troops can avert a massacre.
