War, Displacement, and Public Health Crises: The Intersection of Conflict, Pollution, and Disease Spread in Korem and Alamaţa Camps, Northern Ethiopia (1975-1991)

This paper examines the intersection of warfare, forced displacement, and environmental collapse in Korem and Alamaţa Camps, Northern Ethiopia, during the Derg regime (1975–1991). It argues that conflict and deliberate aid obstruction exacerbated famine, triggering mass displacement and transforming relief camps into epicenters of disease, pollution and ecological degradation. Moreover, this study investigates how warfare precipitated environmental and public health catastrophes, focusing on three interconnected dynamics: aid manipulation, ecological collapse and epidemiological warfare. It uses mainly qualitative and interdisciplinary methodology through integrating historical, ecological, epidemiological and anthropological perspectives. Besides, drawing on archival records, eyewitness accounts, Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) reports, humanitarian documents (Médecins Sans Frontières and Red Cross) and literature the study reveals how warfare, conflict-induced displacement, and refugee-related water pollution created a vicious cycle of public health crises—ranging from cholera and malaria outbreaks to chronic malnutrition. By analyzing cases like the Korem and Alamaţa camps, the paper frames conflict as an indirect form of environmental warfare. Ultimately, it highlights how war’s legacy extended beyond battlefields, poisoning ecosystems and institutionalizing suffering among displaced populations.