# Humera > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Humera > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Humera.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humera > Source revision: 1328525934 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Town in Tigray Region, Ethiopia}} {{Distinguish|Humira}} {{pp|small=yes}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}} {{Infobox settlement | official_name = Humera | native_name = ሑመራ | other_name = | settlement_type = Town | image_skyline = Humera in Tigray near the border with Sudan and Eritrea13.jpg | imagesize = | image_caption = | pushpin_map = Ethiopia#Horn of Africa#Africa | pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ethiopia##Location within the Horn of Africa##Location within Africa | pushpin_relief = | coordinates = {{coord|14|17|10|N|36|36|35|E|region:ET|display=inline,title}} | subdivision_type = [Country](/source/Countries_of_the_world) | subdivision_name = {{flag|Ethiopia}} | subdivision_type1 = [Region](/source/Regions_of_Ethiopia) | subdivision_name1 = {{flag|Tigray|Region}} | subdivision_type2 = [Zone](/source/List_of_zones_of_Ethiopia) | subdivision_name2 = [Western](/source/Western_Zone%2C_Tigray) | subdivision_type3 = [Woreda](/source/Districts_of_Ethiopia) | subdivision_name3 = [Kafta Humera](/source/Kafta_Humera) | established_title = Seat for Kafta Humera Woreda | established_date = | established_title2 = | established_date2 = | established_title3 = | established_date3 = | government_footnotes = | government_type = | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = 585 | elevation_ft = | population_total = 21653 | population_as_of = 2007 | population_footnotes = | population_note = | postal_code_type = | postal_code = | area_code = | website = | footnotes = | timezone = [EAT](/source/East_Africa_Time) | utc_offset = +3 | timezone_DST = | utc_offset_DST = | native_name_lang = ti }} '''Humera''' ({{Langx|ti|ሑመራ}}; {{Langx|am|ሁመራ}}) is a town in northwestern [Ethiopia](/source/Ethiopia). It is located in the [Kafta Humera](/source/Kafta_Humera) [district](/source/Districts_of_Ethiopia) in the [Tigray Region](/source/Tigray_Region) of Ethiopia as well as the [Western Zone](/source/Western_Zone%2C_Tigray) of Tigray, and has an elevation of {{Convert|585|m|ft}} above sea level. The [Tekezé river](/source/Tekez%C3%A9_River) borders the town to the north. Humera is a vital regional agricultural center based on [intensive agriculture](/source/intensive_agriculture), and is the last Ethiopian town south of the border with [Eritrea](/source/Eritrea) and [Sudan](/source/Sudan), and is considered to be a strategically important gateway to [Sudan](/source/Sudan).{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}} == History == === 20th century === Prior to the [Ethiopian Revolution](/source/Ethiopian_Revolution), large agricultural businesses were established to grow soybean and other crops for export. By 1971, there were 700,000 hectares being farmed.{{Cite book |last=Tibebu |first=Teshale |title=The Making of Modern Ethiopia: 1896-1974 |publisher=The Red Sea Press |year=1995 |isbn=1569020019 |location=Trenton, New Jersey |pages=155}} Humera is part of the [Wolqayt](/source/Wolqayt)-[Tsegede](/source/Tsegede) area, which historically has been part of the former province of [Semien also commonly known as Gondar](/source/Semien_province). During the [Ethiopian Civil War](/source/Ethiopian_Civil_War), [Teranafit](/source/Teranafit) and its successor, the [Ethiopian Democratic Union](/source/Ethiopian_Democratic_Union) (EDU), drew much of their support from the commercial farmers of Humera and Wolqayit, and gained control of Humera in early 1977; [Derg](/source/Derg) forces with tanks and armored cars retook Humera on 10 June, and the officers of the EDU fled to Sudan.{{Cite web |year=2005 |title=Hosaina – Hwate |url=http://130.238.24.99/library/resources/dossiers/local_history_of_ethiopia/h/ORTHOS05.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110529011123/http://130.238.24.99/library/resources/dossiers/local_history_of_ethiopia/h/ORTHOS05.pdf |archive-date=29 May 2011 |access-date=6 April 2011 |website=Local History in Ethiopia |publisher=The Nordic Africa Institute |page=7}} The Derg used Humera as a base for military campaigns against the [Tigrayan People's Liberation Front](/source/Tigrayan_People's_Liberation_Front) (TPLF) until their [Third Revolutionary Army](/source/Third_Revolutionary_Army) was crushed in the [Battle of Shire](/source/Battle_of_Shire_(1989)) on 19 February 1989; this forced the government to withdraw its garrison at Humera a few days later, and by the end of the month evacuate Tigray entirely. The TPLF then took control of the area, and created a supply line out of reach of the Derg.Gebru Tareke, ''The Ethiopian Revolution: War in the Horn of Africa'' (New Haven: Yale University, 2009), p. 284 On 26 March 1989, Humera was bombed from the air by the [Ethiopian Air Force](/source/Ethiopian_Air_Force).Human Rights Watch, 24 July 1991: [https://www.hrw.org/reports/archives/africa/ETHIOPIA907.htm ETHIOPIA – "Mengistu has Decided to Burn Us like Wood" – Bombing of Civilians and Civilian Targets by the Air Force] In the first few months after the beginning of the [Eritrean-Ethiopian War](/source/Eritrean-Ethiopian_War), most of the population fled south to the villages of Ba'eker (11,000), May Kedra (5,000), and Bereket (4,000). These refugees later returned to Humera.[http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Hornet/tigray01.html EUE: Tigray Evacuees, 12/98] === 21st century === On 13 March 2008, a bomb exploded on a public bus in Humera, which killed eight people and wounded at least 27 more. The government arrested the alleged perpetrators, who testified in court they had acted on behalf of dissident groups supported by Eritrea. Their trial was still in process at the end of the year.[https://web.archive.org/web/20090226174959/http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2008/af/119001.htm "2008 Human Rights Reports: Ethiopia"], Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, US State Department (retrieved 8 July 2009) In November 2020, the town was shelled during the [Tigray War](/source/Tigray_War). The [Humera massacre](/source/Humera_massacre) of ethnic Tigrayans took place. Responsibility for the massacre was attributed by refugees to Amharan militias, including [Fano](/source/Fano_(militia)), and to the [Ethiopian National Defense Force](/source/Ethiopian_National_Defense_Force) (ENDF). Most inhabitants fled. Administration of the town was taken over by officials from [Amhara Region](/source/Amhara_Region).{{Cite news |date=23 November 2020 |title=Inside Humera, a town scarred by Ethiopia's war |agency=Reuters|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2020/11/23/in-pictures-inside-a-tigray-town-scarred-by-ethiopian-conflict/ |access-date=24 November 2020}} In 2021, people were found having been tortured, tied up and thrown in the [Tekeze River](/source/Tekeze_River).The Guardian, 3 August 2021: [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/03/dozens-of-bodies-found-floating-in-river-between-ethiopias-tigray-and-sudan Dozens of bodies found floating in river between Ethiopia's Tigray and Sudan] == Demographics == Based on the 2007 Census conducted by the [Central Statistical Agency](/source/Central_Statistical_Agency_(Ethiopia)) of Ethiopia (CSA), this town has a total population of 21,653, of whom 11,395 are men and 10,258 women; this is an increase of 14,451 over the 1994 national census. With an area of 153.03 square kilometers, Humera has a population density of 141.50. A total of 49.84% households were counted in this woreda, resulting in an average of 6,360 persons to a household, and 3.40 housing units. The majority of the inhabitants said they practiced [Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity](/source/Ethiopian_Orthodox_Christianity), with 93.18% reporting that as their religion, while 6.45% of the population were [Muslim](/source/Islam_in_Ethiopia).[http://www.csa.gov.et/index.php?option=com_rubberdoc&view=doc&id=275&format=raw&Itemid=521 Census 2007 Tables: Tigray Region] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101114010300/http://www.csa.gov.et/index.php?option=com_rubberdoc&view=doc&id=275&format=raw&Itemid=521 |date=14 November 2010 }}, Tables 2.1, 2.4, 2.5 and 3.4. '''Ethnic demographics of Kafta Humera woreda'''{{Cite book |title=The 1994 Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia: Results for Tigray Region |publisher=Central Statistical Authority |year=1995 |location=Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |pages=70}} {| class="wikitable" !Ethnicity !Number !Percentage |- |Agew/Awingi |242 |0.5% |- |Amhara |3780 |7.8% |- |Kunama |638 |1.3% |- |Tigrayan |41999 |86.3% |- |Eritreans |1439 |3.0% |- |Others |592 |1.2% |- |Total |48690 | |} == Geography == Humera is located in northwestern Ethiopia. By road it is {{convert|984|km|mi|abbr=on}} northwest of [Addis Ababa](/source/Addis_Ababa), {{convert|515|km|mi|abbr=on}} west of [Mek'ele](/source/Mek'ele), and {{convert|267|km|mi|abbr=on}} east of [Shire](/source/Shire%2C_Ethiopia). The [Tekezé river](/source/Tekez%C3%A9_River) runs to the west of Humera. The town is spread on the east bank of the river. Humera is located at altitude ranges from 585 m above sea level. === Climate === Humera has a [hot semi-arid climate](/source/hot_semi-arid_climate) ([Köppen climate classification](/source/K%C3%B6ppen_climate_classification) ''BSh''). The overall climate throughout the year is mild and dry. The annual rainfall ranges between 400 and 600 mm, with most of the rain falling in the rainy season (June up to September). {{Weather box|location=Humera, Tigray, Ethiopia|single line=Y|metric first=Y|Jan high C=36.4|Feb high C=37.9|Mar high C=41.2|Apr high C=41.7|May high C=41.2|Jun high C=39.2|Jul high C=33.9|Aug high C=33|Sep high C=34.2|Oct high C=37.4|Nov high C=38.3|Dec high C=36.9|year high C=|Jan mean C=27|Feb mean C=28.4|Mar mean C=30.3|Apr mean C=31.7|May mean C=31.7|Jun mean C=30.3|Jul mean C=27.1|Aug mean C=26.8|Sep mean C=27.2|Oct mean C=28.7|Nov mean C=29.4|Dec mean C=28.3|year mean C=|Jan low C=17.5|Feb low C=18.8|Mar low C=22.2|Apr low C=21.6|May low C=22.2|Jun low C=21.3|Jul low C=20.3|Aug low C=20.6|Sep low C=20|Oct low C=20|Nov low C=20.5|Dec low C=19.6|year low C=|rain colour=green|Jan rain mm=0|Feb rain mm=0|Mar rain mm=0|Apr rain mm=1|May rain mm=45|Jun rain mm=72|Jul rain mm=171|Aug rain mm=195|Sep rain mm=123|Oct rain mm=7|Nov rain mm=6|Dec rain mm=0|unit rain days=|source 1=http://www.levoyageur.net/weather-city-HUMERA.html}} ==Economy== The population increases dramatically during the farming season each year, when migrant workers arrive from all over the country. [Sesame](/source/Sesame), [sorghum](/source/sorghum), and [Arabic gum](/source/Arabic_gum) are among the most common crops. ==Transport== thumb|Humera Airport The town is served by [Humera Airport](/source/Humera_Airport). Although it wasn't operational due to a border dispute, on 26 July 2009 after three years of construction by the [Ethiopian Airports Enterprise](/source/Ethiopian_Airports_Enterprise), the airport was officially reopened. A runway three kilometers long and 45 meters wide was constructed, capable of handling present-day aircraft including [Antonov 124](/source/Antonov_An-124)s.[http://www.ena.gov.et/EnglishNews/2009/Jul/26Jul09/93215.htm "Ethiopia inaugurates international airport at Humera"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090731123840/http://www.ena.gov.et/EnglishNews/2009/Jul/26Jul09/93215.htm |date=31 July 2009 }}, [Ethiopian News Agency](/source/Ethiopian_News_Agency) 26 July 2009 (retrieved 1 November 2009) The airport was opened at the cost of 182 million [birr](/source/Ethiopian_birr). Ethiopian Airlines serves the airport with destinations to [Addis Ababa](/source/Bole_International_Airport) and [Mek'ele](/source/Alula_Aba_Airport). The opening of the airport was aimed at increasing the agricultural sector in the region as well as providing commercial air service in Humera. ==See also== * [Humera massacre](/source/Humera_massacre) * [Fano (militia)](/source/Fano_(militia)) * [Tigray conflict](/source/Tigray_conflict) == References == {{Cite news |last=Latif Dahir |first=Abdi |date=9 December 2020 |title=Fleeing Ethiopians Tell of Ethnic Massacres in Tigray War |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/09/world/africa/ethiopia-tigray-sudan.html |url-status=live |access-date=9 December 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20201209211852/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/09/world/africa/ethiopia-tigray-sudan.html |archive-date=9 December 2020}} {{Cite news |last=Brown |first=Will |date=23 November 2020 |title=After the bombs they attacked with knives, claim Ethiopians fleeing peace prize winner's war |work=The [Daily Telegraph](/source/Daily_Telegraph) |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/11/23/ethiopia-unleashes-bombing-knife-wielding-militias-civilians/ |url-status=live |access-date=24 November 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20201124141619/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/11/23/ethiopia-unleashes-bombing-knife-wielding-militias-civilians/ |archive-date=24 November 2020}} {{Cite news |last=Akinwotu |first=Emmanuel |date=2 December 2020 |title='I saw people dying on the road': Tigray's traumatised war refugees |work=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian) |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/dec/02/tigray-war-refugees-ethiopia-sudan |url-status=live |access-date=2 December 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20201202185821/https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/dec/02/tigray-war-refugees-ethiopia-sudan |archive-date=2 December 2020}} Category:Eritrea–Ethiopia border crossings Category:Populated places in the Tigray Region --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Humera](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humera) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humera?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.