Over 35,000 South Sudanese Refugees Flee to Ethiopia Amid Conflict
IDPs from Zalambessa Visit Homes for the First Time Since 2020 War
Over 35,000 South Sudanese Refugees Flee to Ethiopia Amid Conflict
Over 35,000 South Sudanese refugees have arrived in Ethiopia’s Gambella region since April 2025, fleeing conflict between government troops and a local armed militia in South Sudan. According to the European Union (EU) in Ethiopia, as many as 1,000 refugees are crossing the border daily. To support the refugees, the EU has provided €500,000 in humanitarian aid to assist with the construction of emergency shelters, protection services, and essential supplies.
IDPs from Zalambessa Visit Homes for the First Time Since 2020 War
Internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Zalambessa, a town in eastern Tigray, have visited their homes for the first time since the start of the war in northern Ethiopia in 2020. The visit was made possible following the recent resumption of people-to-people relations between Tigray and Eritrea. However, local officials indicated that the visit was coordinated by community elders, not the Tigray Interim Regional Administration (IRA). Since the war began, Zalambessa has been under Eritrean control.
ICRC and Ethiopian Red Cross Distribute Aid to Conflict and Drought-Affected Regions
In cooperation with the Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has distributed seeds and fertilizers to conflict and drought-affected districts in Tigray, Amhara, and Oromia regions. Over 10,500 families in areas such as Ayna Bugna and Lasta in North Wollo zone have received more than 450 metric tons of seeds and 1,550 metric tons of fertilizers. In addition to the aid, the ICRC and ERCS conducted risk awareness sessions for farmers in Tigray's Northwestern zone, where explosive remnants of war remain a danger.
Human Rights Watch Urges Support for UN Special Rapporteur on Eritrea
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on members of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) to reject Eritrea's efforts to end the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur for Eritrea. HRW emphasized that African states, in particular, should support the renewal of the special rapporteur’s mandate. Eritrean authorities have presented a resolution to end the mandate, citing the lack of impact and the fact that the special rapporteur cannot access the country. HRW has criticized the Eritrean government for obstructing the special rapporteur’s access and preventing monitoring of human rights conditions on the ground.
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