Ethiopia has renewed visas of 15,000 Sudanese refugees who fled ongoing civil war in their country.
Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through a taskforce in charge of overseeing the well being of the refugees, on Saturday said it has renewed visas of Sudanese refugees for free that are living in urban centers of the east African country.
Established after the outbreak of civil war in Sudan, the task force, chaired by Birtukan Ayano, State Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, announced a surge in Sudanese refugees arriving in Ethiopia, the ministry said in a statement.
In addition to urban centers, more than 50,000 Sudanese reside in camps across Ethiopia, primarily in the Amhara and Benishangul-Gumuz regions.
This was disclosed during a meeting dwelling on recent security concerns at the Kumer refugee camp, located in Ethiopia’s Amhara region.
Two weeks ago, the UNHCR reported that around 1,000 Sudanese fled the camp due to threats, with an additional 7,000 forced to leave after attacks by local militias who claimed that members of a militant group entered into Ethiopia as refugees
Despite these challenges, the task force expressed optimism. A report presented at the meeting highlighted “encouraging efforts” to address the issues facing Sudanese refugees in Ethiopian camps.
Furthermore, the meeting revealed that over 128,000 refugees from more than 17 countries have entered Ethiopia since the Sudanese conflict began in April 2023, with border checkpoints like Metema and Kurmuk seeing a significant influx. Among these refugees, over 47,000 are Ethiopian returnees.
According to UNHCR, Sudanese refugees housed in camps in the Amhara and Benishangul-Gumuz regions near the Sudanese border face significant challenges, including a lack of security, severe food shortages, and inadequate medical care.
MG/as/APA