#ASDailyScoop: 31,000 asylum seekers, refugees arrive in Ethiopia as fighting in Sudan displace nearly 1.4 million people
Addis Abeba – Latest UN report says more than 31,000 asylum seekers, refugees, and returnees have fled Sudan and arrived in neighboring Ethiopia, seeking safety and shelter.
“The number of people crossing into Ethiopia via entry points of its border with Sudan stands at 31,074 as of 25 May. Out of these, more than 5,200 people are asylum-seekers or people already registered as refugees in Sudan,” the report stated.
The entry points are in Metema, West Gondar Zone of Amhara Region, Kurmuk and Pagak/Burbley in Benishangul Gumuz and Gambella regions respectively.
Nearly 1.4 million people have been forced to flee their homes since the conflict erupted on 15 April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and are now displaced inside and outside the country, according to a UN report.
The fighting persisted despite a seven-day ceasefire that commenced on May 22nd, and the Sudanese Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) has reported over 700 fatalities and approximately 5,500 injuries since April 15th.
In response to this escalating crisis, Ethiopia has reaffirmed its commitment to provide sanctuary for Sudanese refugees seeking asylum in refugee camps without visa requirements as opposed to those who intend to settle in Ethiopia or travel independently to a third country. AS
