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UN granted ''unrestricted'' access to Tigray

Ethiopian refugees line up for food aid.   -  
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YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP or licensors

Ethiopia

The United Nations now has ‘’unrestricted’’ access to the northern region of Tigray, according to a dossier cited by AFP. A senior UN official who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity on Wednesday said that the agreement would allow the UN and its humanitarian partners to deliver aid "wherever people need it.

Meanwhile, one of the reception camps in Sudan housing Ethiopian refugees fleeing conflict in the northern Tigray region is becoming overwhelmed. Already, some people in the Raquba camp scramble to find adequate shelter and enough food.

"All my children are sick because they are not used to the food that they are eating here. Back home, we were doing fine, my husband worked at a bank and I used to work at a supermarket. Now we left everything behind and we came here. We have no money or anything and we need help", an Ethiopian refugee, Otaaside Otimora said.

Solomon Gabriel is another Ethiopian refugee at the camp. He laments their current predicament.

"We don’t have any blankets or mattresses, nor water or food. We feel as if we are just living in the bushes here. Our country was secure, we left our homes, our cows and our food; it has all been taken by the fighters and we have nothing here. We are very hungry and we don’t have a choice", Gabriel said.

More than 45,000 people have escaped from northern Ethiopia since November 4. This follows Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s order for a military operations against leaders of Tigray's ruling party in response to its alleged attacks on federal army camps.

Human rights group have warned of possible crimes against humanity in East Africa’s largest country.

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