Ethiopian military completes offensive in Tigray region as UN raises concerns about refugees

Ethiopia's announcement that it has completed its military offensive in the northern Tigray region "does not mean the conflict is finished," the United Nations'refugee chief said Sunday, adding he is very concerned about the fate of nearly 100,000 Eritrean refugees there amid reports that some have been abducted.

If confirmed, such treatment of refugees in camps close to the Tigray border with Eritrea "would be major violations of international norms," Filippo Grandi told reporters. "It is my strong appeal for the prime minister of Ethiopia for this situation to be addressed as a matter of urgency."

Nearly a month of fighting between Ethiopian federal forces and Tigray regional ones has threatened to destabilize Ethiopia, the linchpin of the strategic Horn of Africa, and its neighbours. The involvement of Eritrea in the conflict has been alleged by refugees and the now-fugitive Tigray leaders but, like much in the sealed-off region, has not been verified.

Meanwhile, in a rare report from inside the Tigray capital of Mekele, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said a major hospital in northern Ethiopia, Ayder Referral Hospital, is lacking body bags while some 80 per cent of its patients have trauma injuries.

"The influx of wounded forced the hospital to suspend many other medical services so that limited staff and resources could be devoted to emergency medical care," it said.

WATCH |Ethiopia troops take rebel-held Tigray region:

Ethiopia troops take rebel-held Tigray region

4 years ago

Duration 2:02

Ethiopia had launched a search for leaders of the Tigray People's Liberation Front. Experts say fighting will likely continue despite the government's announcement.

Hospitals and health centres in the Tigray region are running "dangerously low" on supplies to care for the wounded, it added. Food is also running low, the result of the Tigray region being cut off from outside aid for almost a month.

The ICRC also said 1,000 Eritrean refugees have arrived in Mekele from their refugee camps near the Eritrean border, looking for food and other help.

Eritrea, which watchdogs call one of the world's most repressive countries, has remained almost silent on the allegations by the Tigray regional leaders that it has been involved in the conflict at the invitation of Ethiopia and its Nobel Peace Prize-winning Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, whose government has denied it.

Explosions heard in Eritrean capital, U.S.embassy says

Overnight, the U.S. Embassy in Eritrea said six explosions were heard in the capital, Asmara. It followed an embassy report of another "loud noise, possibly an explosion" on Friday, nearly two weeks after the Tigray regional leader confirmed firing missiles at the city.

WATCH |Thousands of refugees trapped by Tigray conflict:

Thousands of refugees trapped by Tigray conflict

4 years ago

Duration 1:46

Tens of thousands of refugees are trapped in the midst of a standoff between the Ethiopian government and a militant group in the Tigray region as a surrender deadline passes.

The latest explosions came just hours after Abiy declared victory in his government's fighting against the Tigray People's Liberation Front, which has run the northern Tigray region. The army said it was in "full control" of Mekele but the government said TPLF leaders remain on the run.

The U.S. has accused the TPLF of seeking to "internationalize" the deadly conflict in which aid groups say several hundred people have been killed, including civilians.

Communications remain almost completely severed with the Tigray region of sixmillion people, and the UN has been unable to access it with aid. Fears are growing about the atrocities that might emerge once transport and other links are restored.

It has been impossible to verify claims made by the warring sides.

Nearly onemillion people have been displaced, including about 44,000 who fled into Sudan. The camps that are home to the 96,000 Eritrean refugees have been in the line of fire.

"We need first and foremost access" to Tigray, Grandi said, adding that his UNcolleagues in Addis Ababa are in discussions with the government there. Abiy's government has promised a "humanitarian corridor" managed by itself, but the UNhas stressed the importance of neutrality.

Asked about refugees' allegations that Ethiopian security forces have blocked people from fleeing the conflict into Sudan, the UNrefugee chief said his team had not raised that issue with Ethiopia's government. But refugees told him about the "many checkpoints" and pockets of insecurity they faced as they fled.

"We have not heard of any systematic sealing-off," Grandi said. "But certainly there are growing difficulties."

Most people traveled with nothing, Grandi said, and many are farmers who were forced to flee at harvest time, creating a "very difficult situation for them."

Even before it declared victory in the conflict, Abiy's government was urging the refugees to return and promised to protect them. But many of the refugees have said they were running from the deadly violence of Ethiopian forces and attacks from the direction of nearby Eritrea.

"Of course, I'm not encouraging people to return," Grandu said, adding that refugees told him they fear possible retaliation and intercommunal violence and need security assurances before they can go home.

The UNrefugee agency is asking for almost $150 millionUS in aid over the next six months to support up to 100,000 refugees.