NEW YORK (November 20, 2020) – “Since armed conflict broke out in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia earlier this month, close to 30,000 people have sought refuge in neighboring Sudan. UNICEF estimates that some 12,000 children – some of them without parents or relatives – are among those sheltering in camps and registration centers and are at risk.
“Conditions for these children are extremely harsh. We are working with our partners to urgently provide much needed life-saving support, including health, nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene services. With more than 200,000 people expected to cross in the coming days and weeks, additional support is crucial for us to meet the rising needs.
“Inside the Tigray region, restricted access and the ongoing communication blackout have left an estimated 2.3 million children in need of humanitarian assistance and out of reach.
“Even before the current escalation, at least 54,000 children lived in refugee camps in the region and 36,000 were internally displaced by natural disasters and armed violence. Thousands more have been displaced in the past few weeks.