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ADDIS ABABA, Nov.21 (Xinhua) – The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Refugee Agency, called for “urgent support” to help the influx of Ethiopian refugees fleeing to neighboring Sudan. amid ongoing fighting between the Ethiopian federal government and an insurgent regional government in northern Tigray.
A statement by the UN refugee agency, quoting UNHCR spokesman Babar Baloch, revealed that “as the number of people fleeing the Tigray region of Ethiopia to eastern Sudan now exceeds 33,000, the UNHCR is working tirelessly to obtain the necessary assistance for women, male children in great need. “
“Personnel at the Hamdayet border crossing in Kassala state and the Lugdi crossing in Gedaref state continue to register thousands of new arrivals every day,” the statement issued Friday night read.
According to the agency, the refugees were going about their daily lives when clashes suddenly broke out.
“We have met teachers, nurses, office workers, farmers and students who were completely surprised. Many fled with nothing more than what they had with them and then had to walk for hours and cross a river to seek safety in Sudan,” said statement read. .
Refugees are reaching remote areas that have very little infrastructure. It takes at least six hours to get to Hamdayet from Kassala and reach Village 8, another place temporarily hosting refugees, it was noted.
“The overall needs are huge, but there has been some progress in meeting them as more assistance arrives at the border,” UNHCR said, adding that hot meals are still being provided and water is being delivered.
The UN Refugee Agency has deployed staff to identify the most vulnerable people with particular needs. More medical supplies are pouring into health clinics, including ready-to-use therapeutic and complementary foods.
More than 5,000 refugees have been transferred from the borders to the Um-Raquba settlement, located some 70 km inland.
UNHCR also called for “immediate support from donors so that it can continue to help the growing number of refugees.”
According to UNHCR, in addition to Ethiopians fleeing to Sudan, the number of internally displaced persons within Ethiopia itself “is growing by the day after almost two weeks of conflict.”
“Lack of access to those in need, along with the inability to move aid supplies to the region, remain the main impediments,” Baloch said in the statement.
“We are increasingly concerned for the safety of all civilians in Tigray, including the 100,000 Eritrean refugees located in four camps there. UNHCR has not heard from its staff since Monday. We are very concerned,” Baloch added.
Noting that Eritrean refugees in Tigray were “completely dependent” on assistance, including food and water, before the conflict broke out, UNHCR also stressed that there are “great concerns that the ongoing hostilities will drastically affect services. in the camps. “
UNHCR also joined other UN agencies in calling on all parties to the conflict to protect displaced civilians and respect the safety of humanitarian personnel, a temporary ceasefire effective immediately to allow humanitarian corridors to be established and urges that immediate and unhindered humanitarian access be achieved. people in need in areas under the respective control of the conflict parties.
Amid ongoing fighting, the Ethiopian government announced on Saturday the capture of towns by Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) fighters in different directions in the restless regional state of Tigray.
“The Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) seized full control of Axum, Adwa and the surrounding areas of Adigrat,” the state of emergency task force established by the federal government to monitor military operations in course against the TPLF. .
The Ethiopian government also revealed that its forces are now on their way to the regional capital, Mekelle, where many believe prominent TPLF leaders are currently located.
Since the early hours of November 4, the Ethiopian government has been conducting military operations against the TPLF, which governs Ethiopia’s northernmost regional state of Tigray.
The federal government operation followed the TPLF attack on the northern command base of the Ethiopian Defense Force, a division stationed in the region for more than two decades and based in the city of Mekelle, capital of the region of Tigray. Final product
