Conflict in Ethiopia: the Red Cross denounces the serious humanitarian crisis underway in Tigray

The fighting in Tigray has already forced many residents of Tigray and surrounding areas to flee, especially to neighboring Sudan.

Here, a refugee from Tigray, on November 17, 2020, in the Sudanese state of Kassala.

© World Food Program, Reuters

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3 min

While the conflict in Tigray has entered its third week, the province is still cut off from the world and the scarce information comes mainly from press releases from the belligerents.

But for the first time, independent information was made public on Tuesday, November 17, when the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was able to visit hospitals in Gondar and Mekelle, in need of everything.

The NGO reports a very serious humanitarian crisis.

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In Amhara as

, the ICRC report mentions overwhelmed hospitals, in need of everything: beds, blankets, medicines.

For example, more than 400 seriously injured people are currently being treated in the only hospital in Gondar, which also has to deal with 14 cases of Covid-19.

In Mekelle, capital of Tigray, the local hospital has asked to be supplied with basic treatments, such as diabetes and dialysis, since it is the only one in the region to provide this care.

And the Red Cross adds that its 10 ambulances transported “ 

 ” out of the combat zone.

The ICRC also mentions

in Mekelle and Addis Ababa, anxious to have lost contact with their loved ones and who reported themselves to the emergency telephone service.

The Red Cross says it has also visited prisoners of war, to whom it has provided hygiene products.

And she says she is worried about the Eritrean refugees living in camps in Tigray, " 

 ".

In recent days, the UN humanitarian agencies have been stepping up calls in vain.

On Tuesday, it was his Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs himself who expressed his " 

".

According to an internal

cited by the Associated Press, in Tigray " 

 " to eat, " 

".

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• Ethiopia

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