UN: security situation in northern Ethiopia remains fragile

The security situation in northern Ethiopia remains fragile and unpredictable, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Friday in a statement.

Although the overall situation in Ethiopia's Tigray and Amhara regions continues to be relatively calm, armed clashes, with reported use of heavy weapons and airstrikes, continued to be reported in multiple locations in Afar region.

Insecurity in Afar and no relief convoys able to reach Tigray since mid-December continue to affect civilian lives, their safety, and restrict access to livelihoods, OCHA said in a statement.

"The situation further increases humanitarian needs notably with the growing number of displaced people and hinders humanitarian access and delivery of aid to affected areas in northern Ethiopia," the statement said.

According to the Afar regional government, the ongoing conflict has so far displaced hundreds of thousands of people, mostly pastoralists.

An estimated 200,000 people, including internally displaced people in Afar, are in hard-to-reach locations either due to road conditions, security concerns, or trapped behind the lines of contact or in remote areas with no access to humanitarian assistance and services.

The UN refugee agency reported on Feb 18 that thousands of Eritrean refugees fled Barahle refugee camp and its surroundings in Afar after fighting engulfed the area. The refugees reported that at least five refugees were killed, and several women kidnapped after unidentified gunmen entered the camp on Feb 3.

The current blockade of the Semera-Abala-Mekelle route has further exacerbated the flow of humanitarian supplies into Tigray, combined with the limited supplies allowed in before mid-December, mainly due to earlier administrative measures, which was already far below what is needed.