Nearly 80,000 individuals have sought sanctuary in Ethiopia due to the continuing armed violence in Sudan. These refugees face a mounting cholera epidemic and difficulty preserving their asylum status in Ethiopia. There have been reports of refugees being told they cannot seek asylum in the country’s capital, Addis Ababa, and that they must instead return to Matama, located in the Amhara area and close to Sudan’s border.
Nearly 80,000 individuals are estimated to have left Sudan for Ethiopia since the beginning of the violence in Sudan in the middle of April, as stated in a report that was released only yesterday in Ethiopia by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), as of September 8, there were at least 225 confirmed cholera cases at the Ethiopian Kumer refugee camp in Amhara. In addition, the Kurmuk Transit Centre on the Sudanese-Ethiopian border reported three dead cases of malaria reported among children.
According to reports from medical professionals working in Sudanese refugee camps located in northern Ethiopia, the number of cholera-related fatalities has increased to 80 cases. It has been claimed that the illness has spread extensively among the camps in Ethiopia that are housing Sudanese refugees. People in the camps are suffering from hunger due to a lack of food, and their housing and health are deteriorating.
As a result of the fighting that occurred between the Sudanese Army (SAF) and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) troops in the Blue Nile region, many Sudanese fled to the Benishangul-Gumuz area for safety.
Radio Dabanga was informed by Khalid Karam, a spokesman for the Sudanese Community in Ethiopia, that the refugees are in a precarious situation. He also said that they are organizing a team to inspect the conditions in the camps, which media members would join.
The community came together one week ago to launch a fundraising campaign in response to the precarious situation of Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia. “We were able to effectively gather SDG1.5 million and organize a committee to investigate the requirements of the Sudanese people living in Ethiopia. According to what he said on Radio Dabanga, the present proposal calls for the distribution of food vouchers to low-income citizens of Sudan. These coupons would enable these citizens to buy meals at restaurants in Sudan at a reduced price.
Concern was voiced by Sudanese refugees residing in Ethiopia over the immigration restrictions of that nation, which demand that they pay a cost of one hundred dollars every month to keep their stay permit valid.
According to Karam, the authorities in Ethiopia’s capital city of Addis Ababa refuse to provide asylum and compel refugees to return to Matama in the Amhara region, located on the border with Sudan.
Bakri El Agami, like many other Sudanese now living in Ethiopia, said that he sought to contact the UNHCR office in Addis Ababa but was instead sent to other offices. “The UNHCR office handles the requests of Eritreans and South Sudanese but neglects those of Sudanese,” he stated. “The UNHCR office handles requests of Eritreans and South Sudanese.”
According to a person from Sudan looking for asylum in Addis Ababa, “families face barriers to enter the UNHCR office, are denied access to officials, lack asylum cards that grant residency rights, and are tied to camps.” She brought attention to the challenges that come with living in the camps near the Sudanese-Ethiopian border because of the worsening circumstances, the security concerns, and the regular demonstrations in the surrounding area.
El Agami emphasized that Sudanese refugees do not have the right to work under the present residence permit, and he expressed surprise that the Ethiopian government did not exclude Sudanese from the necessity that they renew their residency every month. El Agami said he was surprised that the Ethiopian government did not free Sudanese from their work requirement. He sent a request to the authorities in Ethiopia, asking them to think about issuing yearly resident certificates to persons from Sudan.
Osama Omar, a refugee from Sudan who now resides in Ethiopia, identified the need that they renew their residence status each month as the primary obstacle they face. In addition, he mentioned the high cost of living, the hefty rent rates, and the discrepancies in transportation and lodging between Ethiopians and foreigners.
Similar worries were expressed by Muawiya Abdelrahman, who also emphasized the danger of failing to renew the residency permit owing to financial difficulties. If this happens, “you will be subject to substantial fines of up to $3 per day, in addition to a $50 fee,” she said.
