AFRICA/ETHIOPIA - Emergency in Ethiopia for tens of thousands of South Sudanese refugees

Friday, 21 March 2014

Addis Ababa (Agenzia Fides) - There are between 72,000 and 100,000 South Sudanese refugees who have fled to the western Ethiopian region of Gambella, according to estimates by some humanitarian organizations operating in the area.
Clashes between government soldiers and rebels loyal to former South Sudanese Vice President Riek Machar have forced several hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people and refugees in neighboring countries, primarily Ethiopia to flee.
The humanitarian situation of refugees in the Gambella region is precarious and is getting worse day by day due to the continuous arrival of new refugees. What is extremely worrying is the sanitary conditions of the two camps where refugees are welcomed (mostly women and children), one in Kule (located 40 km from the regional capital, Gambella) and the other in Pagak, 80 km west from Kule. The government of Addis Ababa has appealed to the international community for support in coping with the humanitarian emergency. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 21/03/2014)


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