The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
UNHCR and partners urgently seeks US$156 million to support Ethiopian refugees fleeing the Tigray crisis
As more than 52,000 Ethiopian refugees have fled the Tigray region over the past six weeks into eastern Sudan, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and partners have launched an urgent appeal for funding needs.
“We are releasing together with 30 humanitarian partners an urgent appeal for US$156 million to support refugees fleeing Ethiopia’s Tigray crisis”, said Andrej Mahecic, spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) today at a news conference at the United Nations in Geneva. “The requested funds are needed to meet the critical humanitarian needs of Ethiopian refugees fleeing the conflict in Tigray throughout the first half of 2021. This appeal will also strengthen preparedness to receive refugees in other countries in the region in case of further refugee movements”, Mahecic added.
The armed conflict broke out on November 4 between the federal government and regional forces, driving thousands of people to flee their homes - more than half of them women and children. Electricity, phone and internet have been cut off. Food and fuel is scarce. The Ethiopian government announced a six-month state of emergency in Tigray.
Despite the number of new arrivals dropping, to some 500 a day, aid agencies have been dealing with a full-scale humanitarian emergency. UNHCR and humanitarian partners have released now the Regional Refugee Preparedness and Response Plan for the Ethiopia Situation. It covers the period from November 2020 through to June 2021 and is supposed to reach up to 115,000 refugees and 22,000 people from host communities.
The Regional Refugee Preparedness and Response Plan addresses the new refugee emergency triggered as a result of the crisis in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. It aims to support the governments of Sudan, Djibouti and Eritrea to facilitate access to asylum and provide life-saving assistance to those who have been forced to flee.
“The critical activities include registration, documentation, ensuring civilian character of asylum, decongesting of the border site areas, transferring refugees to the new settlements, provision of food, health and education services, support for groups with specific needs particularly for women and girls at risk, unaccompanied minors, the disabled and the elderly”, Mahecic explained.
The Um Rakouba camp in eastern Sudan, located close to the Ethiopian border, has reached its capacity. Mahecic said that “in eastern Sudan, since 14 November to date, more than 20,000 refugees have been relocated from the border areas to Um Rakuba camp, which is located some 75 kms from Gedaref town. As this site approaches its capacity, we and our partners will begin next week preparatory work on a new site further inland, some 136 kms away from Gedaref town”.
So far, according to UNHCR, only 30 % (U$46 million) of the required funds has been received by UNHCR and partners for the ongoing crisis. However, the needs remain huge.
”Currently many refugees remain in overcrowded conditions without proper facilities and there continues to be a shortage of medicines and other supplies. We have seen a huge demand for family tracing and unification, education and for child friendly spaces and nutritional programs”, Mahecic said.
- Exterior wide shot, Palais des Nations flag alley, nations’ flags flying, a cloudy day.
- Wide shot, press briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Andrej Mahecic, Spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR): “We are releasing together with 30 humanitarian partners an urgent appeal for US$156 million to support refugees fleeing Ethiopia’s Tigray crisis. The requested funds are needed to meet the critical humanitarian needs of Ethiopian refugees fleeing the conflict in Tigray throughout the first half of 2021. This appeal will also strengthen preparedness to receive refugees in other countries in the region in case of further refugee movements”.
- Wide shot, journalist in press room
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Andrej Mahecic, Spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR): “The critical activities include registration, documentation, ensuring civilian character of asylum, decongesting of the border site areas, transferring refugees to the new settlements, provision of food, health and education services, support for groups with specific needs particularly for women and girls at risk, unaccompanied minors, the disabled and the elderly”.
- Wide shot, journalist in press room
- SOUNDBITE (English) - Andrej Mahecic, Spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR): “In eastern Sudan, since 14 November to date, more than 20,000 refugees have been relocated from the border areas to Um Rakuba camp, which is located some 75 kms from Gedaref town. As this site approaches its capacity, we and our partners will begin next week preparatory work on a new site further inland, some 136 kms away from Gedaref town”.
- Medium shot, journalist in press briefing room at the UN Palais
- SOUNDBITE (English) - Andrej Mahecic, Spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR): ”Currently many refugees remain in overcrowded conditions without proper facilities and there continues to be a shortage of medicines and other supplies. We have seen a huge demand for family tracing and unification, education and for child friendly spaces and nutritional programs”.
- Exterior wide shot, Palais des Nations flag alley, nations’ flags flying, a cloudy day.
- Medium shot, Palais des Nations with flags
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO , OHCHR
Gaza aid site horror continues as more starving people shot trying to get food
Amid intensifying hopes for a new Gaza ceasefire, UN humanitarians confirmed disturbing details on Friday of continued killings and injuries of Palestinians desperately seeking food at aid sites.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA
A clearer picture of needs across Iran is beginning to emerge after the conflict this month with Israel, which left hundreds dead, several hospitals hit and a spike in Afghan refugees returning home, the UN’s top official in Tehran said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | WMO
The blistering early-summer heatwave that’s brought life-threatening temperatures across much of the northern hemisphere is a worrying sign of things to come, UN weather experts said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk made the following remarks to the Human Rights Council annual panel on adverse impacts of climate change.
1
1
2
Edited News | WHO
The first meagre midweek delivery of urgently needed medical goods to enter Gaza in months will provide scant relief to the enclave’s people, who continue to be shot and killed as they search for food, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.
2
1
2
Statements , Edited News | HRC
Enhanced interactive dialogue on the High Commissioner’s report on Myanmar presented by Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and oral update by Thomas Andrews, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar
1
1
1
Edited News | UNOG
The conflict-impacted people of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) urgently need much more international assistance than they are getting today, the UN’s top aid official said on Thursday.
1
1
2
Edited News | UNOG
Violence in Myanmar is spiralling as the military junta increases its attacks on monasteries, schools and camps sheltering people uprooted by the civil war, a top independent human rights investigator warned on Wednesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan on Palestinians killed seeking food in Gaza
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
Iran-Israel war: UN rights office concerned over strike on Tehran prison, reported espionage arrests
Tehran’s notorious Evin prison known for holding dissidents should not be a target, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) said on Tuesday, a day after a reported Israeli strike on the complex.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF , WHO
Death and suffering in Gaza are ever-present and the enclave's people now have little choice but to risk their lives to fetch aid supplies, UN agencies said on Friday. “I met a little boy who was wounded by a tank shell at one of these sites on the final day of me leaving Gaza - I learnt that this little boy had since died of those injuries,” said UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) spokesperson James Elder. “That speaks to both what is happening at these sites and what is not happening when it comes to medical evacuations.”
1
1
1
Edited News | UNCTAD
UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) launched today the World Investment Report 2025. Global foreign direct investment (FDI) fell by 11%, marking the second consecutive year of decline and confirming a deepening slowdown in productive capital flows, according to the report.