After witnessing the challenges Eritrean refugees in Tigray region of Ethiopia are facing, the members of parliament (MPs) call for provision of appropriate support to the Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia.
“The refugees from Eritrea camped and residing in Tigray region should get appropriate support”, noted the foreign relations and peace affairs standing committee of the House of Peoples Representatives who visited the camps last week. The committee visited the refugee immigrants at Enda Aba-guna, My-ayni, Adi-harush, Hitsets and Shimelba camps for Eritrean incomers, according to the news bulletin of the Parliament. It is stated that the committee came across the fact that the refugees in those camps are running short of food, shelter, clean water, latrine and medical services.
Reports show that Ethiopia is currently hosting over 250,000 Eritrean refugees. In addition to the limitation of supplies from the Ethiopian government, the Eritrean refugees expected support from international charity organizations become too confined to an extent that the refugees couldn’t bear at all, the committee realized. The special supports in education and medical services, which were promised also to the regional people living close to the camps, are also denied, according to the additional information.
Diribu Jemal, member and coordinator of the committee in his feedback appreciated; the social capital built by refugees with the community in the vicinity. He also greeted their access to the Ethiopian Sim-cards that gives them opportunities to roam. Their awareness of the Ethiopian proclamation for refugees was another point that Diribu raised as a good action for the actors involved in the process.
The coordinator stressed, the Tigray region and people shall persist in their support of refugees as strong as possible. The international organizations and other NGOs shall also offer support to the refugees ultimately was an additional comment by him. He advised close ties among stakeholders to resolve grievances from any side, finally.
Head of the Eritrean refugees’ coordination office, Tekiea Guebreyesus on his part disclosed; 60,000 of the 240,000 registered Eritrean immigrants reside in camps. He stated that the regional government is exerting all efforts to culminate the challenges which the refugees are facing, according to the news bulletin of the House of Peoples Representatives of Ethiopia.
Enda Aba-guna’s refugee camp coordinator Hadush Kidane on his part told the committee, the average number of Eritrean refugees crossing the border oscillates between 300 and 400 per day, which seeks more budget and man-power to deal with.The communities where the refugees are situated requested the gov’t to act as the promises it pledged to fulfil the infrastructures that serve both purposes.
The Eritrean refugees on their part praised everyone on their way to the camps due to their humble accommodation. They expressed their hope that the shortcomings that are affecting their life in the camps would be solved. Yet, they requested the Ethiopian gov’t to bring back the ceased education opportunity for the Eritrean refugees. (SOURCE- The House of Peoples Representatives of Ethiopia)