Thousands fleeing Ethiopia fighting enter Sudan: government
A picture taken through a car window shows Ethiopian Amhara militia fighters, that combat alongside federal and regional forces against northern region of Tigray, as they mobilise towards Tigray, in the Northwest of the city of Gondar, Ethiopia, on November 09, 2020.
What you need to know:
- Among those streaming across the border were several Ethiopian soldiers, said Alsir Khaled, head of Sudan's refugee agency in the eastern border town of Kassala.
- Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops and air force jets into Tigray last week in a campaign against the regional ruling government.
Khartoum,
Thousands of Ethiopians fleeing conflict in the northern Tigray region have crossed west into neighbouring Sudan, a government official said Tuesday.
Among those streaming across the border were several Ethiopian soldiers, said Alsir Khaled, head of Sudan's refugee agency in the eastern border town of Kassala.
"Refugees are pouring in, and the situation is changing by the hour," said Khaled.
At least 2,500 refugees were counted in the past two days, but hundreds more civilians arriving are yet to be processed by authorities, he added.
Around 30 Ethiopian soldiers who also fled "handed themselves over at a Sudanese military checkpoint," Khaled added.
Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops and air force jets into Tigray last week in a campaign against the regional ruling government.
Families struggling
Much of the fighting has reportedly been concentrated in western Tigray, near the border of Sudan and Eritrea.
One eyewitness told AFP that families with young children were struggling to cross a river to reach Sudan.
UN refugee agency spokesperson Babar Baloch on Wednesday said that there were "more than several hundred asylum seekers" at two border entry points in Sudan's Gedaref state.
UNHCR was "mobilising resources to provide lifesaving assistance", Baloch said.
"The arrivals are being screened by the authorities, and will be relocated from the border points to the existing reception centre in Shagrab camp in Kassala state," Baloch said.
Ethiopia's Abiy on Tuesday signalled that the end of military operations were "coming within reach", as the African Union called for an immediate cessation of the fighting.
But that has not stopped the flow of refugees.
Khaled said Sudanese efforts to help the refugees were stretched, and that they were awaiting support from international refugee agencies.
