UNITED NATIONS, April 27 (NNN-Xinhua) — Intercommunal fighting in Ethiopia’s Amhara region — adjacent to restive Tigray — has displaced at least 330,000 people, UN humanitarians said.
“The security situation in the Amhara region remains tense and volatile due to intercommunal clashes that have resulted in massive population displacement,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Monday. The number of casualties is undetermined.
There also were reports of looting and destruction of property and infrastructure.
While humanitarians are not able to verify displacement figures because of insecurity, OCHA said, regional authorities estimate that at least 330,000 people have been displaced in North Shewa and Oromia Special Zones.
The government, with the support of UN agencies, is providing water, sanitation and hygiene items to affected people. Once the security situation allows, needs and risks assessments will be conducted, OCHA said.
Fighting erupted in Ethiopia’s northernmost region of Tigray in early November, triggering mass displacement. — NNN-XINHUA