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Addis Ababa, November 11, 2020 – In a statement sent to Addis Standard, The International Rescue Committee (IRC) said it is “extremely concerned about the humanitarian implications of the escalation of violence in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, where more than two million people already need humanitarian assistance.” This includes 96,000 refugees and 100,000 internally displaced persons.
“The IRC is calling for an immediate reduction from all parties involved to ensure that humanitarian services can continue without restrictions,” the statement said.
The IRC also warned that further fighting could lead to “massive loss of life, prolonged displacement, disease outbreaks and lack of access to social services for the most vulnerable populations, particularly those living in refugee camps. Ethiopia is already recovering from a year of multiple humanitarian disasters. “
George Readings, IRC’s lead global crisis analyst, said: “An escalation of violence in the Tigray region could have a devastating impact on the people we serve. We are currently supporting 90,000 refugees in four camps in Tigray and we are concerned about the interruptions in essential water, sanitation and hygiene services and the possible need for emergency assistance to save lives if the violence escalates.
“With communications, transportation services and networks down, our operations have already been affected. We have had to relocate staff from one of our camps and we only have one month of fuel left to run the water pumps for 90,000 refugees in Tigray. We hope that tensions do not escalate, but we are looking for ways to adapt our programming to ensure that services continue to the most vulnerable. “
Experts have warned of a potential 200,000 people fleeing across the border with Sudan, “which is already fighting under pressure from nearly a million refugees and where floods, locust outbreaks, poor economic conditions for several years and the COVID-19 pandemic has caused 9.3 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, “said IRC.
“The IRC urges all parties to consider the humanitarian situation and reduce the escalation immediately. The needs and safety of civilians, including refugees and displaced persons, must be prioritized ”.
TIRC has been working in Ethiopia since 1999 implementing emergency and development work in rural communities and 21 refugee camps, reaching clients through programs in environmental health, health, education, child protection, economic recovery and development, and protection and empowerment of women in six regions. across the country.
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