The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Edited News | UNHCR
UNOG Bi-Weekly Press Briefing Tigray- Eritrea Refugees’ Plight 21 January 2022
Tigray: Eritrean refugees ‘scared and struggling to eat’ amid aid obstacles
For the first time in three weeks, aid teams have reached refugee camps in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, only to find the Eritreans living there “scared and struggling to get enough to eat”, the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, said on Friday.
More than 25,000 refugees live in in Mai Aini and Adi Harush refugee camps in Tigray, where UNHCR has urged all parties to the conflict to guarantee safe passage, so that they can be relocated to neighbouring Amara region.
“After three weeks with no access due to the security situation, UNHCR staff members managed to reach Mai Aini and Adi Harush refugee camps in the Tigray region of Ethiopia earlier this week for the first time since the recent air strikes in and near the camps,” said Boris Cheshirkov, UNHCR spokesperson. “Our team found refugees scared and struggling to get enough to eat, lacking medicine and with little or no access to clean water.”
The work of humanitarians has been hindered by a lack of fuel, preventing clean water from being pumped in or trucked to the camps. This has left refugees with no option but to collect water from streams that are rapidly drying up, leaving them vulnerable to water-borne diseases.
“Despite concerted efforts, the complete inability to move supplies into the region means
that extreme hunger is an increasing concern,” Mr Cheshirkov noted, adding that more than 20 people had reportedly died in the last six weeks alone, amid deteriorating conditions and in particular a lack of medicine.
“With food running out in the camp and no additional stocks available for distribution, refugees tell us they have resorted to selling their clothes and few belongings to try to get food,” the UNHCR official said, before warning that more refugees will die, “if food, medicine, fuel and other supplies cannot be immediately brought in, and if we continue to be unable to relocate refugees out of harm's way”.
The development is the latest development in the armed conflict in Tigray which began on 3 November 2020 between Ethiopian national forces, Eritrean troops, Amhara forces and other militias on one side, and forces loyal to the Tigrayan People’s Liberation front on the other.
Echoing the UN-wide call for all parties in Ethiopia to protect civilians and to respect everyone’s
human rights and fundamental freedoms, Mr. Cheshirkov insisted that refugees “must not be held hostage” in the conflict.
“The desperate situation in these camps is a stark example of the impact of the lack of access and supplies affecting millions of displaced persons and other civilians throughout the region,” he added.
The development comes as UN aid coordination office, OCHA, warned that food distribution in Tigray is at its “all-time lowest”.
Food stocks and fuel are almost entirely exhausted, meaning that only about 10,000 people received assistance between 6 and 12 January – a drop in the ocean compared to the estimated 9.4 million who require humanitarian food assistance in Tigray, Afar and Amhara regions, which is an increase of 2.7 million from four months ago.
ends
STORY: Tigray: Eritrean Refugees’ Plight - UNHCR
TRT: 01 min 40s
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 21 JANUARY 2022 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
- Exterior wide shot, United Nations Palace of Nations, Geneva. UN flag flying.
- Wide shot, press room UN Geneva.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Boris Cheshirkov, spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “After three weeks with no access due to the security situation, UNHCR staff members managed to reach Mai Aini and Adi Harush refugee camps in the Tigray region of Ethiopia earlier this week for the first time since the recent air strikes in and near the camps.”
- Medium-wide shot, large TV screen showing speaker, podium speakers to rear.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Boris Cheshirkov, spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “Our team found refugees scared and struggling to get enough to eat, lacking medicine and with little or no access to clean water.”
- Wide shot, podium speakers seated with TV screens on either side.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Boris Cheshirkov, spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “Despite concerted efforts, the complete inability to move supplies into the region means that extreme hunger is an increasing concern.”
- Medium shot, photographer taking photos.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Boris Cheshirkov, spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “The desperate situation in these camps is a stark example of the impact of the lack of access and supplies affecting millions of displaced people and other civilians throughout the region.”
- Medium shot, masked participant looking at laptop, in profile.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Boris Cheshirkov, spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “If food, medicine, fuel and other supplies cannot be immediately brought in, and if we continue to be unable to relocate refugees out of harm's way to where we can provide them with life-saving assistance, more refugees will die.”
- Medium shot, masked participant looking towards podium.
- Close-up, showing hand and pen taking notes on notepad.
- Wide shot, press room UN Geneva, with participants and podium speakers to rear.
- Medium shot, podium speakers taking notes during the briefing.
Similar Stories
2
1
2
Statements , Conferences , Edited News | HRC
The UN’s top human rights forum gathered in Geneva on Monday, where Member States highlighted the growing civilian toll of war in the Middle East, sparked by Israeli and U.S. bombing of Iran, counter-strikes by Tehran against Gulf states and Israeli shelling of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in response to attacks by the armed group.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNIFIL , UNFPA , IOM , UNHCR
As the UN Secretary-General touched down in Beirut on Friday in solidarity with the people of Lebanon, UN agencies highlighted the dangers for civilians and particularly pregnant women and migrant workers, amid ongoing airstrikes and rocket fire between Hezbollah fighters and Israel.
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | HRC
Russia’s deportations of Ukrainian children amount to crimes against humanity: independent UN rights probe
Scores of Ukrainian children are still missing after being deported far and wide across Russia and occupied territories while their families continue to search for them, human rights investigators said on Thursday.
2
1
2
Edited News , Press Conferences | OCHA
The UN’s emergency relief chief on Wednesday condemned the “$1 billion-a-day” cost of the war roiling the Middle East, at a time of severe cuts to the global body’s humanitarian work in emergencies and “soaring” needs.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , WHO , UNHCR , UNICEF , WFP
Middle East war: UN warns of ‘toxic rain’ danger from oil depot strikes as mass displacement, aid supply shocks spread
Toxic “black rain” linked to strikes on oil depots, mass displacement and continuing disruption to humanitarian supply chains are upending lives across the Middle East and beyond after 10 days of war in the region, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani on Friday made the following remarks on Israel’s military ground incursions and displacement orders in Lebanon.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , IOM , WHO
The escalating war in the Middle East has heightened growing concerns about further civilian suffering and displacement in the region and far beyond, UN agencies said on Friday.
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights chief Volker Türk made the following remarks at a press stake out on the current situation in the Middle East.
“The crisis sparked in the Middle East one week ago following US and Israeli attacks on Iran, and Iran’s counterattacks, has been spreading like wildfire. It is causing significant damage in Iran, Israel and at least a dozen other countries, mostly in the Gulf, with risks of major economic and environmental ramifications across the world,” he said.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani on Tuesday made the following remarks on the current situation in the Middle-East.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNHCR , WFP
Schoolgirls killed, thousands displaced, aid routes compromised: UN humanitarians deplore effects of new Middle East war
On the fourth day of Israeli and United States airstrikes against Iran and amid growing violence and instability in the Middle East, the UN urgently called for protection of civilians and warned of growing displacement and humanitarian needs.
1
1
1
Edited News | IOM
Well over 1.3 million people have fled Sudan’s ongoing war for South Sudan, the UN migration agency, IOM, reported on Friday, amid rising violence and a massive humanitarian emergency linked to the country’s political crisis.
2
1
2
Statements , Conferences , Edited News | HRC , OHCHR
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Friday presented to the 61st Human Rights Council his global update on the human rights situation.