UNHCR Regional Update #18: Ethiopia Situation (Tigray Region), 15 June – 15 July 2021

ETHIOPIA

▪ On 25 June, UNHCR High Commissioner Filippo Grandi called for all parties to respect the protection of civilians and the safety of humanitarian workers following an escalation in the conflict.

▪ On 28 June, Ethiopia’s government declared an immediate, unilateral cease-fire in the Tigray region after nearly eight months of conflict. Tigrayan forces took the regional capital Mekelle on the same day.
Fighting has since continued on several fronts.

▪ While humanitarian access to previously hard to reach areas within Tigray improved, movements of personnel and supplies into Tigray has been severely constrained by the closure of airports and very limited road access.

▪ On 2 July, Ramesh Rajasingham, Acting UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator appealed for immediate and unrestricted access to Tigray as the Security Council held its first open meeting on the conflict, stating that 400,000 people have “crossed the threshold into famine” – with another 1.8 million on the brink.

▪ On 13 July, High Commissioner Grandi expressed concern for the safety and security of Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia and called for the violence and intimidation against them to stop.

Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees