AFRICA/ETHIOPIA – The forgotten victims of the Tigray war: the fate of 100,000 Eritrean refugees

AFRICA/ETHIOPIA – The fate of 100,000 Eritrean refugees: The fate of Tigray soldiers

Thursday, November 10, 2022

Shire (Agenzia Fides) – Very little has been written about Eritreans in the two years since the conflict in the northern region. While 60,000 Tigrayans were forced to flee their homes to Sudanese refugee camps, 100,000 other Eritreans have remained in Tigrinya camps ever since the outbreak of war in November 2020. The numbers released are still inaccurate. Ethiopia was a safe haven for Eritrean refugees for many years and has been home to many of them. They have been attacked and involved in fighting groups since 2020. Tigris and Eritreans both speak Tigrinya, so it is easy to confuse them. They were also attacked by Eritrean soldiers and, in some cases, even kidnapped to be taken back to Eritrea.
Industry insiders believe that there are still many obstacles to overcome before a peace accord is reached. Even if humanitarian aid increased exponentially, Ethiopia won’t be able to provide adequate protection or assistance to Eritrean refugees in the coming years.
According to official estimates, there is more than 72,000 Eritrean refugees in Addis ababa. Of these, around 43,000 have resettled themselves. Around 22,000 refugees were provided with documentation. This includes ID cards for refugees, which allow them to live in the capital for three years and financial assistance to help with some of their basic necessities. Over 14,000 families were also assisted in opening bank accounts.
The United Nations Refugee Agency and UNHCR, WFP, and WFP managed to distribute food, water, and other basic necessities to the Mai Aini camp, one of the largest refugee camps in the world. Here, refugees live in shacks stacked on top each other along windswept streets.
Most refugees are asking to be moved to the Alemwach settlement, Amhara region, due to the current dire humanitarian situation. More than 3,400 refugees have been relocated to receive shelter, medical care, and basic necessities. More than 57,000 Eritrean refugees live in Afar’s Aysaita, Serdo camps and the surrounding areas after the attack on Barahle Camp in February 2022. (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 10/11/2022)

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