The United Nations states there has been a shortage of food for the nearly 100,000 Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region.
Communication and transport junctions to Tigray have since been cut off, and the UN and compassionate offices have argued for access to supply food, medicines, and different supplies in the camps that shielded almost 100,000 Eritreans before the threats started.
“The camps will have now run out of food supplies – making hunger a real danger, a warning we have been issuing since the conflict began nearly a month ago, the U.N. is worried about attacks and human rights violations at the camps.” U.N. spokesman Babar Baloch said in Geneva on Tuesday.
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It has been a month since Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed reported that war had begun in Tigray between federal forces and Local Tigray powers. Every government says the other is illegitimate after a dispute over holding elections during the Coronavirus health emergency.
Abiy Ahmed, last year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner, has denied to negotiate with Tigray leaders. Few days back, Abiy said his army was victorious, but Tigray soldiers continue to fight. Most Tigray leaders have fled the area and are in hiding.
Ethiopia’s government has said it will create a “humanitarian corridor” to deliver the aids, but the U.N. wants a neutral path to enter the area. Ethiopia has assisted Eritrean refugees for nearly 20 years, “but now we fear they are caught in the conflict,” Baloch said.
In Tigray, the 96,000 Eritrean refugees are in a very tough position. They live in camps in Ethiopia near the border of their homeland, Eritrea, which they fled. There are reports that some have been attacked or abducted. The U.N. has warned that any such actions would be “violations of international norms.” Eritrea has remained almost silent as the Tigray leaders accuse it of joining the conflict at Ethiopia’s request. Abiy’s government has denied the accusation.
The U.N. said around 2,000,000 refugees in Tigray also need help. Before the conflict, the number was one million. In addition, One million people have lost their homes, including more than 45,000 Ethiopians who have fled into Sudan as refugees.
