Ethiopia: Thousands Flee From Tigray Conflict

The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) warned that over 11.000 people, half of them children, have fled from Ethiopia to Sudan, running away from the conflict in their homeland.

RELATED:

Ethiopians Suffer Displacement Crisis Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

The UNHCR explained that thousands of families seek safety in Sudan after a week of armed conflict between the Ethiopian federal government and the Tigray regional forces.

“We are urging governments in the neighboring countries to keep their borders open for people forced from their homes,” UNHCR Regional Bureau Director Clementine Nkweta-Salami requested in a statement issued on Wednesday.

The organization explained that the number of people is likely to increase as thousands of refugees have arrived at the Sudanese border in the last 24 hours, and the conflict seems to escalate.

The military conflict in Africa's second-most populous nation is on its second week after the Tigray fighters attacked a federal government facility and the government decided to strike back.

With an already fragile situation in Sudan, Tigray's conflict threatens the region's stability as fears of a civil war are spreading. The UNHCR warns that there are refugee camps near the conflict zone. Also, in Tigray live 100.000 people who were already displaced before the clashes.

While roads are blocked, and phone and Internet are down, the conflict has unleashed a wave of misinformation that makes it difficult for media outlets to verify both the government and the opposition claims.