UNHCR Regional Update #26: Ethiopia Emergency Situation, 15 December 2021

Key Developments

ETHIOPIA

On 7 December, the Under-Secretary-General Special Representative (USG SRSG) of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Ms. Pramila Patten, in a statement highlighted that “extreme brutality and sexual violence have been hallmarks of the conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region.”She added that amid increasing and spreading hostilities and a worsening humanitarian situation in Tigray, Amhara and Afar regions, “I am deeply concerned by continuing reports of targeted attacks against women, girls, boys, and men, including the systematic use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, a form of retaliation, punishment, humiliation, and to stigmatize individuals based on their real or perceived ethnic identity.. She made an urgent call to all parties to the conflict to immediately cease every form of sexual violence and end hostilities to pave the way for an inclusive and gender-responsive ceasefire and peacebuilding efforts.

OCHA stated that only 44 trucks of food, nutrition, and water and sanitation supplies arrived in Mekelle as of 10 December, down from 157 trucks a week earlier. Fuel has also not arrived in Tigray since 2 August and medicines and medical equipment have not been allowed to enter Tigray, with a few exceptions.

United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) flights to Mekelle, which had been suspended since 22 October, resumed on 24 November. Locations within Tigray remain accessible except for those in the western and northwestern zones which remain inaccessible due armed confrontations.
Amidst the continued deterioration of the humanitarian situation and ongoing displacement UNHCR has continued to provide lifesaving services to refugees and internally displaced persons in the Northern regions of Tigray, Amhara and Afar (estimates of some 1.8 million IDPs in Tigray, 1 million in Amhara, and 334,196 in Afar). UNHCR has significantly scaled up presence and IDP response in Tigray and in the neighboring regions.
Operations however continue to be severely hampered by the impacts of the ongoing conflict (lack of cash, fuel, communications persist).

SOMALILAND

There have been an estimated 3,000 Ethiopian new arrivals from Amhara region (in Somaliland. UNHCR and the authorities plan to register and provide assistance to the new arrivals.

SOUTH SUDAN

UNHCR has not registered any new arrivals from Ethiopia apart from usual cross border movements, but some of the South Sudanese refugees returning from Ethiopia over the last two months (8,000 returns recorded in October) have cited growing insecurity in Ethiopia as a reason for their decision to return.

SUDAN

Sudan remains UNHCR’s priority country for contingency planning in the region and efforts are ongoing to identify a suitable location for a possible additional camp in case of a new influx. So far, the dynamics in Western Tigray appear to be resulting in internal displacement with people either opting to move internally or unable to cross to Sudan. Discussions with the government on maintaining an open border for asylum-seekers and prepositioning of stocks of relief items are ongoing in case the situation shifts. New arrivals in the last month have remained at a relatively low level of around 50 per week.

Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees