Sudan: UNHCR and WFP assist nearly 50,000 Ethiopian refugees
NEW YORK , 11 Decembe 2020 / PRN Africa / – Among the thousands of Ethiopian refugees who managed to enter the eastern part of Sudan, “some said they had to flee the armed groups to find shelter and reported obstacles to cross borders, ”UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch told a press briefing in Geneva.
Since December 6, the number of Ethiopians fleeing the ongoing conflict in the northern region of Tigray has tended to decline to less than 500 arrivals per day.
“Recent groups from deeper parts of Tigray arrive weak and exhausted, with some reporting that they have spent two weeks on the run inside Ethiopia as they made their way to the border,” the door said. – UNHCR speech.
Ethiopian refugees have told UNHCR teams heartbreaking stories of people arrested by armed groups and stripped of their property. “Many spent time hiding in fields and bushes to avoid being spotted. Without access to Ethiopia, we cannot verify these disturbing reports, ”Baloch said.
In this regard, the UN agency remains very concerned about the safety and condition of Eritrean refugees in Tigray who have been trapped by the conflict in this Ethiopian province. “They haven’t had access to services and supplies for over a month,” Baloch warned.
UNHCR reiterates call for “unhindered access to Tigray”
UNHCR reiterated the call by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres for unhindered access to Tigray to reach those in need.
“We reiterate the joint United Nations appeal to all parties to allow freedom of movement for affected civilians seeking assistance, safety and security in the Tigray region or outside the areas affected. This includes respecting and defending the right to cross international borders to seek asylum, ”Baloch insisted.
Inside Sudan, UNHCR also continues to drive refugees away from the border. Some 14,000 people were thus relocated to the Um Rakuba refugee camp. In addition, the UN agency noted “an increase in requests for family tracing, because many were separated at the start of the conflict or during the flight and have not been able to be contacted since”.
In the field, more supplies are needed, especially for those taking chronic drugs like diabetes or HIV. As refugees continue to live in overcrowded conditions, UNHCR also needs support to prevent Covid-19, including more handwashing stations, personal protection kits.
Note that last Wednesday, the first of five flights chartered by the UN agency began to deliver humanitarian supplies to Sudan.
In total, flights from Dubai and Nairobi will bring more than 3,200 tents, 75,000 blankets, 45,000 mattresses, 20,000 solar lights, 17,000 mosquito nets and more than 8,000 plastic sheeting. Through these flights, UNHCR has airlifted 440 tonnes of humanitarian aid since November 27.
WFP has set up six supply centers for food storage in Sudan
For its part, the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has so far provided more than 48,000 Ethiopian refugees with monthly in-kind rations, high – energy biscuits or hot meals provided near the border. In total, the UN agency dispatched enough food to feed 60,000 people for a month.
In addition, WFP has set up six supply centers for the storage of food and other vital humanitarian aid for refugees when they arrive in the camps. The UN agency also transports the personnel of humanitarian organizations to the camps through its Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS).
“But the influx of new arrivals will strain WFP’s ability to respond to existing needs in Sudan as it faces multiple crises in the country,” said Tomson Phiri , spokesperson for Sudan. UN agency in Geneva. Under these conditions, WFP calls on donors to finance its operations so that it can save lives in this crisis.
Meanwhile, WFP faces a deficit of 153 million dollars for its operations planned over the next six months in Sudan, including nearly 15 million dollars for new Ethiopian refugees.
SOURCE UN News Center
