The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said today (Tuesday) that "several thousand" Ethiopians have sought safety in Blue Nile State in Sudan during the past month to escape the escalating violence in the Benishangul region. Gums, Ethiopia.
Tensions have escalated in the Metekle region in the Benishangul-Gomez region in western Ethiopia since 2019, with several reports of sectarian attacks in parts of the region.
With the situation escalating rapidly in the past three months, the Ethiopian government declared a state of emergency in the region since last month.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said today (Tuesday) that it is working closely with the Sudanese authorities and partners to assess the situation and respond to the humanitarian needs of the recent arrivals, "many of whom have reached hard-to-reach locations along the border."
According to figures released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, nearly 3,000 people were registered out of 7,000 people who arrived in Sudan´s Blue Nile State.
"This number is expected to increase as the verification process continues in all sites where refugees are hosted," the UNHCR said.
Reports indicated that in recent weeks, UNHCR and its partners have already provided humanitarian assistance to around 1,000 refugees in Yapacher, on the Sudan-Ethiopia border.
Refugees received food as well as access to health, water and sanitation facilities and aid supplies.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has also stressed that the majority of these asylum seekers live among the Sudanese host community that continues to welcome people seeking safety.
She affirmed that she and her partners "will continue to intensify the response to support the government in its response."
