Sudanese refugees stranded in Ethiopia go on hunger strike

Almost half of 6,000 Sudanese refugees stranded in an Ethiopian forest in Amhra region have gone in hunger strike since May 23 due to shortage of food and medicines.

Tigray, Kampala- Altaghyeer: Sara Taj Alsir

Some 2843 Sudanese refugees, out of more than 6000 stranded in the Ethiopian Oulala forests in the Ethiopian Amhra region, have gone in hunger strike since May 23 due to shortage of food and medicines.

The original number of the Sudanese refugees in the forests is more than 6,000 but they exempted elders, pregnant women and children from the hunger strike.

The refugees were deprived of all sorts of humanitarian assistance delivered by international and local organisations, according to the refugees spokesperson.

“We lost trust in Abiy Ahmed government. We call on the world to help us live in a safe place” the spokesperson told Forum of the Sudanese Tweeters on X platform on Sunday evening.

He revealed that they filed last year more than 1851 complaints on deterioration of their situations. The Ethiopian government has threatened drive them out of Oulala forests by force, he said, explaining that the threat was made in the presence of UNHCR’s representatives. “The stranded Sudanese refugees demanded then Addis Ababa to apologize to the world for its failure to protect the Sudanese refugees and return them to their country”, he said.

The Ethiopian journalist Anwar Ibrahim revealed that the Sudanese refugees are stranded between the Ethiopian army and militias who are engaged in fighting in an area located only two kilometers from the refugees place.

He assured that they were subjected to harassment by the Ethiopian farmers and attack by the militias and Federal police.

Besides shortage of food and medicines, they also lack access to clean water a matter that caused diseases among them, Ibrahim said.

It was reported that a Muslim village near the Sudanese refugees area has collected donations and bought food materials for them but the Ethiopian police confiscated them.

الوسومAmhara region Sudanese refugees

المصدر: صحيفة التغيير السودانية