In response to the influx of refugees caused by the conflict in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, the EU announced on Thursday 19 November the mobilisation of an initial €4 million in humanitarian aid for Ethiopians who have had to flee their country to take refuge in Sudan.
The EU aid will provide Ethiopians arriving in Sudan with shelter, access to food and health care, sanitation and hygiene facilities and protection.
“There is a real humanitarian crisis being created by the unfolding conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. With this initial funding, we will help Ethiopian refugees who have had to leave their homes. The solution, however, lies in the cessation of hostilities”, said EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič, quoted in a statement.
He also urged both parties to the conflict to ensure full humanitarian access in all areas affected by the fighting.
This emergency aid will support NGOs and UN agencies in the states of Kassala and Al Qadarif in eastern Sudan, both of which have experienced a sudden influx of refugees which is exacerbating existing humanitarian needs on the ground. Since the outbreak of the conflict in early November, the two states have hosted more than 29,000 Ethiopian refugees.
Sudan is already one of the largest refugee hosting countries in Africa, with more than 1 million refugees, mainly from South Sudan. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)