Despite the deal, many refugees remained profoundly skeptical. Memories of mass killings and the scale of destruction—estimated by some researchers to have claimed between 385,000 and 600,000 lives—made the idea of returning home feel like a death sentence to some. Many stated they would only feel safe returning if there were fundamental changes in Ethiopia's leadership or guaranteed international protection. Life in the Camps: A Deteriorating Sanctuary
The skepticism held by Tigrayan refugees in 2022 proved tragically prescient. While they feared returning to Ethiopia, they could not have known that their sanctuary in Sudan would itself collapse just months later. When war broke out in Sudan in April 2023, these same refugees found themselves trapped in a secondary conflict, forced to flee once again from the very places they had sought for safety. Expand map Refugee Infrastructure in Sudan Voices from Tigray Refugee Camp in Sudan - UNICEF Life in the Camps: A Deteriorating Sanctuary The
For most of 2022, Tigrayan refugees faced a grueling status quo. The year was defined by a communication blackout that cut off families in Sudan from their loved ones in Tigray, leaving them in a painful limbo of uncertainty. Expand map Refugee Infrastructure in Sudan Voices from
In 2022, Tigrayan refugees in Sudan lived in a precarious state, balanced between the sparked by a late-year peace deal in Ethiopia and the deep-seated skepticism born from two years of brutal conflict and worsening camp conditions. By the end of 2022, tens of thousands of Tigrayans remained in eastern Sudanese camps like Um Rakuba and Tunaydbah , having fled what many described as a genocidal war starting in November 2020. The Pendulum of 2022: From War to an Uncertain Peace and adequate sanitation became chronic.
Sudan, long a place of refuge for the region, began to feel like a "refugee loop" where temporary safety was marred by famine and neglect.
The signing of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA) in Pretoria, South Africa, on November 2, 2022, offered the first real glimmer of hope. It raised the possibility of humanitarian aid finally reaching Tigray and the eventual safe return of refugees.
By late 2022, refugees reported that services in camps like Um Rakuba had significantly deteriorated. Shortages of food, clean water, and adequate sanitation became chronic.