A 26-year-old Ethiopian woman, Muluwork Ambaw, has made an extraordinary claim that she has lived for 16 years without eating food or drinking water.

Ambaw, who lives in Jimma, Ethiopia, said she lost her appetite when she was 10 years old and has not consumed food or water since then. She recalled that her last meal was lentil stew before the unexplained change occurred.

Her unusual story recently attracted international attention after travel content creator Drew Binsky visited Ethiopia and documented Ambaw’s account and lifestyle.

According to Ambaw, the change started during her childhood when members of her family encouraged her to eat breakfast before leaving for school. She said she initially pretended to have eaten but eventually stopped experiencing hunger and thirst.

“I used to live with my family, and they asked me to eat breakfast and go to school. I said I had eaten, but I was pretending,” she reportedly told Binsky.

Ambaw said she has maintained her normal daily activities despite her claim that she does not eat or drink. She also said she enjoys preparing meals for her relatives and visitors.

She reportedly cultivates vegetables around her home and uses them to prepare fresh meals whenever her sister or other guests come to visit.

“I cook as much as I want, but I have no appetite,” she said.

Woman also claims she has not used toilet for 16 years

Ambaw has made another unusual claim, saying she has not used the toilet for 16 years because she does not eat or drink. According to her account, she only enters the bathroom to wash herself.

Her claim has also raised questions about how she managed during pregnancy.

Reports surrounding her story state that Ambaw received glucose infusions while pregnant to provide her body with energy. After giving birth, she said she could not breastfeed because she did not produce breast milk.

Her child was subsequently fed with artificial milk.

Ambaw also said she has undergone several medical examinations in Ethiopia and other countries. The reported examinations included tests in Addis Ababa as well as in India, Qatar and Dubai.

Accounts of her story state that doctors who examined her were unable to determine why she reportedly did not experience an appetite. She was also said to have undergone mental health assessments in Qatar and Dubai.

Ambaw attributes condition to God

When asked about her extraordinary claim, Ambaw maintained that she had not eaten for 16 years.

She attributed her condition to God and said she intended to continue fasting, adding that she did not expect to resume eating.

Ambaw has reportedly invited sceptics to visit her and observe her lifestyle for themselves.

However, her account has not been independently established through controlled scientific observation. There is currently no publicly available scientific evidence confirming that a person can survive for 16 years without consuming food or water.

Water is essential to normal human physiology, and severe dehydration can become life-threatening within a relatively short period. Consequently, claims of prolonged survival without food and water require rigorous, independent medical verification before they can be accepted as established fact.

Ambaw’s story has nevertheless generated significant discussion online, with many people questioning how she could have survived for so long without food or water and seeking further medical evidence to explain her condition.