There are no food or water in the camps of 100,000 Eritrean refugees in Tigray. Some of them had managed to escape the fighting but the Ethiopian government decided to send them back despite the risks.
as reported from Addis Ababa, Noé Rochet-Bodin
Columns of buses leaving Addis Ababa yesterday with more than 400 Eritrean refugees on board. Destination, Tigray Province, a province they had just fled while war was still raging there.
The Ethiopian government assumes and specifies that it will only take these refugees back to their camps, which would be safe and under its control. Information impossible to verify but as many sources contradict. At first, there would still be fights there. Four aid workers were killed, members of the International Rescue Committee and the Danish Refugee Council.
As a result, the camps lack everything, water, food and medicine according to the UN. International aid is still not allowed in Tigray and the shortcomings continue to come.
Finally, the United States ensures that Eritrea is fully involved in this conflict and can threaten the refugees. Some even talk about kidnappings.
Nevertheless, this transfer is absolutely unacceptable, according to the UN, which was not even informed in advance. The government still prevents humanitarian organizations from gaining access to Tigray under the pretext of fighting, but therefore assures us today that the area would actually be safe for returning refugees. When asked about this inconsistency, the authorities did not respond to our requests.
An Eritrean minister also accuses the United Nations of participating in smear campaigns against his country and of participating in the emigration of citizens.
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