November 4, 2024

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Eritrean refugees

News: Eritrean refugees in the Amhara region relocated

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Eritrean refugees

News: Eritrean refugees in the Amhara region of Ethiopia are being relocated to safe places. United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) today confirmed the relocation of the refugees in the Amhara region of Ethiopia.

“Yesterday, we welcomed Eritrean refugees to their new homes in Alemwach Amhara region. UNHCR was happy to support the relocated refugees with transportation, food, core relief items, plastic sheeting, and solar lamps”, said UNHRC in a statement.

Around 1400 Eritrean refugees have been sheltered in 3 public facilities since 13 July 2021 in the Dabat town of the Amhara region. Calls were being made for their relocation to a safe place.

Dabat town is situated in the North Gondar zone of the Amhara region. Despite the military retreat of Tigray forces into the Tigray region from the neighboring Amhara region, fighting is far from over. There is still the presence of Tigray fighters in some parts of the north Gondar.

There were more than 90,000 Eritrean refugees in Tigray before the start of the Tigray conflict in November 2020. After fighting broke out in Tigray, their refugee camps in Tigray i.e. Hitsats, Shimelba, Mai Aini Adi Harush came under armed attacks from parties to the conflict. Thousands fled into Sudan and into the neighboring Amhara and Afar regions. The whereabouts of hundreds of them are still unknown.

While UNHCR and aid agencies keep on sharing news about the plight of trapped Eritrean refugees, very little has been done by warring factions to protect them.

Last week UNHCR said that five Eritrean refugees had been killed in an attack on Berhale refugee camp at the start of February 2022 in Ethiopia’s Afar region. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) issued a statement in this regard. Read more..

Still, thousands of Eritrean refugees are trapped at Berhale refugee camp in Afar and two refugee camps in the Tigray region. Armed hostilities are going on in the vicinity of these refugee camps.