UNHCR says number of Ethiopian refugees in Sudan nears 50,000

KASSALA, SUDAN - DECEMBER 14: Nearly 50,000 people have fled the Tigray region, northern Ethiopia to neighboring Sudan since the law enforcement operation launched in Nov. 4, according to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.The refugees who have arrived at Kassala State in the eastern Sudan are placed in the Hamdayat Camp located on the border between two countries.The UN agency said in a statement that "UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, working with the local authorities, has now registered nearly 50,000 Ethiopian refugees who have crossed into eastern Sudan, with some reporting having to evade armed groups to reach safety."The agency also said the number of refugees fleeing conflict in Tigray have been trending downward to under 500 per day since December 6."UNHCR remains very worried about the safety and condition of the Eritrean refugees in Tigray that have been caught in the conflict and have had no access to services and supplies for more than a month. We echo the UN Secretary-General’s call for unfettered access to Tigray in order to reach people in need," added the refugee body.On Nov. 4, the Ethiopian federal government launched a law enforcement operation in Tigray after the now outlawed Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and its forces stormed the Northern Command of the Ethiopian National Defence Forces, killed soldiers, and looted military hardware. (Footage by Mahmoud Hjaj/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)