ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- The International Rescue Committee (IRC) on Wednesday warned that lifesaving humanitarian assistance for some 96,000 refugees can be threatened if the ongoing tensions escalate in Ethiopia's restive northernmost Tigray region.
"The IRC is extremely concerned about the humanitarian implications of escalating violence in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, where over 2 million people are already in need of humanitarian assistance including 96,000 refugees and 100,000 internally displaced people," the IRC said.
The IRC called for "immediate de-escalation by all parties involved to ensure humanitarian services can continue unfettered."
The IRC stressed that "further clashes could lead to massive loss of lives, prolonged displacement, disease outbreaks and no access to social services for the most vulnerable populations, particularly those living in refugee camps. Ethiopia is already reeling from a year of multiple humanitarian disasters."
On Nov. 4, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered military operations against a rebel group in the northern state of Tigray in response to an attack on a government army base earlier in the day.
In a live televised statement, Ahmed said the military retaliation was ordered in Tigray for the attack by "traitorous forces" on the Ethiopian Defense Forces personnel stationed in the region.
Ahmed was referring to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the ruling party in the Tigray region and now a rebel movement.
In recent weeks, there have been rising tensions between Ahmed's Prosperity Party and the TPLF, with each side accusing the other of trying to destabilize the country.
"An escalation of violence in the Tigray region could have a devastating impact on the people we serve. We are currently supporting 90,000 refugees in four camps in Tigray and are concerned about disruptions to essential water, sanitation and hygiene services and the potential need for lifesaving emergency assistance if violence escalates," an IRC statement quoted George Readings, IRC Lead Global Crisis Analyst, as saying.
"With communications, transport services and networks down, our operations have already been affected. We've had to relocate staff from one of our camps and we only have one month of fuel left to run water pumps for 90,000 refugees in Tigray," Readings added.
The IRC has been working in Ethiopia since 1999 implementing emergency and development work in rural communities and 21 refugee camps, reaching clients through programs in environmental health, health, education, child protection, economic recovery and development, and women's protection and empowerment in six regions across the country, it was noted. Enditem
