UN: War has forced 50,000 people to flee their homes in northern Ethiopia

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a report published last night that "the number of people who fled their homes due to armed clashes in the city of Raya Alamata since April 13 has exceeded 50,000 people."

OCHA has reported that approximately 42,000 displaced people have fled to the south, mainly near the town of Kobo, and 8,300 have headed for the town of Sekota in the north. The statement emphasized that most of those who fled their homes are "women, children, young people and the elderly".

Alamata and its suburbs are located in the disputed Raya area between Tigray and Amhara, where fighting broke out between the two tribes' fighters about 10 days ago.

Last Saturday, foreign embassies in Ethiopia expressed their "concern over reports of violence in disputed areas in northern Ethiopia," and issued a joint statement calling for "an end to the escalation of violence and the protection of civilians."