Sudanese Refugees in Ethiopian Forest Plead for Immediate Evacuation
A large group of Sudanese refugees stranded in a forest in
Ethiopia's conflict-affected Amhara region for the past two months are facing
"catastrophic" living conditions and ongoing attacks by local
militiamen and bandits.
After fleeing the war in Sudan, several thousand refugees
initially resided in camps designated by Ethiopian authorities in Amhara.
However, they fled to the forest in May after experiencing attacks, abductions,
and rapes in the camps.
Mohamed Hamid, a refugee trapped in the forest, reported
that the group has been contending with dangerous wildlife, including hyenas,
and facing inhumane humanitarian conditions. Hamid, who previously worked for
the UN in Sudan, emphasized the refugees' urgent need to be relocated to
another country or receive support to return to Sudan, despite the ongoing
conflict there displacing millions and causing famine.
Lucrezia Vittori, associate communications officer for the
UNHCR in Ethiopia, urged the refugees to return to the camps to access food and
water aid while seeking a long-term solution. Vittori mentioned a safer site
near Gendewuha in Amhara has been identified, but its opening depends on
financial resources, the rainy season, and the security situation.
Hamid expressed skepticism about the plan, feeling that the
refugees are "being held hostage" and warned that local advice
indicated continued danger in the new camp. The Amhara region has been unstable
since the Fano militia's rebellion against Ethiopia's federal government,
contributing to the insecurity faced by the refugees.
Reports blame Fano and other armed groups for abuses against
the Sudanese refugees, who described their assailants as "militiamen from
the mountains" or armed local villagers. The Ethiopian government's
Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS) did not respond to inquiries about the
situation.
Ethiopia has received 55,000 Sudanese refugees since the
conflict in Sudan began in April 2023. Refugees face severe challenges,
including punitive visa rules, illegal deportations, and an underfunded
regional response unable to meet basic needs. Refugees in Amhara have suffered
extreme hardship, including abductions, rapes, and lack of medical support.
Security threats have escalated, culminating in the shooting
of an 18-year-old boy near the Awlala camp. In May, refugees left the camps for
Gondar to meet UNHCR representatives but were blocked by authorities, forcing
them to settle in a forested area by the road.
The RRS rejected requests to visit the forest site, but
sources shared photographs and descriptions of dire conditions, including
makeshift tents, no latrines, and increasing malaria cases. Refugees reported
severe food shortages, with many on hunger strikes.
Zolkha Mohammed, a mother of a malnourished child, described
the worsening health of her daughter due to inadequate food. Hamid accused the
RRS of using "food blackmail" to force refugees back to the camps by
preventing UN food distribution in the forest.
Despite initial relief at settling in the forest, security
incidents continue. Adam Mohamed, a trader from Khartoum, was attacked and
injured by armed men, and Adila Ahmed, a pregnant woman, was shot and killed
while returning to the camp from Gendewuha.
The difficult situation has forced around 1,500 refugees to
return to Sudan or seek refuge in other countries since May. Refugees like
Mohamed and Hamid are calling for immediate evacuation to a safer country or
support to return to Sudan.
Zolkha Mohammed appealed to international organizations and
the global community for immediate evacuation, emphasizing the dire conditions
and constant threats they face in the forest. "We are suffering here,” she
said. “We are mothers, [yet] we cannot sleep because of the threat of snakes,
scorpions, and heavy rain. We do not have enough material to protect our heads
and those of our children”.
