ADDIS ABABA: Over 3,500 people, including hundreds of Turkish citizens, have arrived in Ethiopia after fleeing intense fighting in Sudan, an official from the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration told AFP.
The United Nations (UN) has warned that the violence could force about 270,000 people to seek refuge in neighboring countries South Sudan and Chad, while others have fled to Ethiopia and Egypt.
Communications officer for the IOM in Ethiopia, Eric Mazango told AFP that between 21 and 25 April, more than 3,500 arrivals have been recorded from over 35 nationalities. He said that of the total arrivals recorded, the largest number of citizens are Turkish at more than 40%, followed by Ethiopians at 14%.
The fighting between the Sudanese military and paramilitaries erupted on 15 April, with hundreds of people killed, while civilians are suffering from severe shortages of food, water, medicine, and fuel.
Requests to UN IMO
Mazango said that IOM Ethiopia has received several requests from embassies for reception and transportation help for about 700 third-country citizens arriving on the Ethiopian side of the Sudan border. He further said that IOM officials were arranging transport facilities from the border town of Metema to the cities of Addis Ababa and Gondar to manage the increase in arrivals. –AFP
