The agency says the fighting has also left about 185,000 internally displaced in Somalia.
17 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Around 60,000 Somalis, mainly women and children, have sought refuge in Ethiopia in recent weeks after fleeing recent fighting in the city of Las Anod between troops from the semi-autonomous region of Somaliland and local militias, according to data released Friday by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
UNHCR spokeswoman Olga Sarrado Mur has indicated at a press conference from Geneva that “more than half” of these people have arrived in the Ethiopian region of Somali earlier this week. “Exhausted and traumatized, they have arrived with very little, taking with them only what they could carry,” she said.
“The women have told UNHCR staff that they had to sell their belongings to pay for transportation to a safe place. Many of them have lost loved ones in the fighting or have been separated from them during their flight,” she said, before detailing that the families have been “temporarily settled” in thirteen facilities in Buj, Halhamur and Danot Woredasiin.
Thus, he has detailed that “in an extremely remote area and with a limited humanitarian presence, the local communities of Dulo have generously welcomed, sharing the resources they have”, although he has warned that these resources “are running out rapidly, as an average of 1,000 people continue to cross the border into Ethiopia every day”.
“The refugees are welcomed in some of the areas of the country most affected by drought and the impact of climate change, after five consecutive failed rainy seasons and where resources are already under great pressure,” said Sarrado Mur, who highlighted that refugees have “limited options” that have led them to seek shelter in schools and other public buildings, while others sleep rough.
Along these lines, he has emphasized that “many” of these people “urgently need food and nutritional support, water and hygiene facilities, as well as specialized support for people with special needs”, which is why UNHCR is working with the Ethiopian authorities. and regional authorities to “set up temporary reception centers and provide immediate assistance, including sheets, food, buckets, kitchen supplies and mosquito nets.
“Upon arrival, the refugees undergo a medical examination and initial registration before their relocation to the surrounding communities or designated places,” explained the UNHCR spokeswoman, who recalled that there are also more than 185,000 in Somalia. internally displaced persons who have fled the city of Las Anod since early February.
In this case, the organization will deliver aid to 3,000 families through its partners, while cash aid is being mobilized for 42,000 people for a period of three months “once the security situation allows access to the area.” “UNHCR calls on all parties to respect the safety of civilians and for more funding to meet the needs of the newly displaced,” he stressed.
Fighting broke out on 6 February in Las Anod, the administrative center of the Sool region between Somaliland forces and militant groups after local leaders represented in the so-called Sool, Sanaag and Cayn Regions Unity and Salvation Authority (SSC) declare their intention to rejoin federal Somalia.
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991, but has not gained wide international recognition for its status and has faced opposition from some clan elders in disputed areas along its border with Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland state. Faced with this situation, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has called for a “credible and impartial” investigation into the clashes.
