Kafta Humera - History

History

Prior to the Ethiopian Revolution, Kafta Humera was the site of a government program to provide land to landless peasants from Tigray and Eritrea. By the end of 1971, some 500 farmers occupied about 7,000 square kilometers, and a further 50,000 were employed as seasonal workers. Although the program was intended for landless citizens, much of the available land had been taken by absentee landlords from the aristocracy -- one estimate is as high as 55% of all grants.

Kafta Humera, was selected by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in 2003 as an area for voluntary resettlement for farmers from overpopulated areas. Along with Tsegede woreda, the other woreda selected in Tigray that year, welcomed that year a total of 7334 heads of households and 618 total family members.

In August 2006, the Tekeze flooded Kafta Humera, displacing 450 households. However, subsequent visits by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs found no need for emergency services. In November of that year, a wild fire near the resettlement sites in Kafta Humera destroyed approximately 10 hectares of forest.