“Everything is Awful:” Experiences of Internally Displaced Older Adults During the Armed Conflict in Ethiopia

In November 2020 an outbreak of ethnically and politically motivated armed conflict started in Tigray and expanded to the Amhara and Afar regions of Ethiopia, bringing a devastating impact upon civilians and disadvantaged groups. Persons living in those areas, including older adults, were forced to flee and seek refuge at internal displacement centers. Given the lack of scholarship on aging and humanitarian contexts, this study investigated the challenges faced by older individuals fleeing the war zone and settling in internal displacement centers during Ethiopia's armed conflict. A qualitative descriptive study was used in this cross-sectional investigation. Data from the in-depth interviews with 13 older adults were supplemented with key informant interviews and observations. Interview data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings revealed that the older adults escaping their homes and staying in the displacement center faced food shortages; inadequate shelter, clothing and bedding; lack of sanitation and hygiene supplies; inaccessible health services; social network destabilization; family disintegration; lack of care and support; and psychological stress, all of which negatively impacted their physical and psychosocial well-being. The findings call attention to the need for practical access to social and economic integration of older adults in the aftermath of the war as well as ongoing psychosocial intervention.