2022---in-sudan--tigrayan-refugees-between-hope-and-skepticism

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.

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. Sudan, long a place of refuge for the

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 Life in the Camps: A Deteriorating Sanctuary Throughout

Throughout 2022, the humanitarian situation in Sudan's eastern camps grew increasingly dire. What was intended as a temporary refuge became a protracted struggle for survival. on November 2

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.

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.

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