UN lauds UAE's support in sending aid to Ethiopian refugees in Sudan

The UN Refugee Agency has commended the UAE for helping airlift emergency aid to Ethiopian refugees in Sudan.

A spokesperson of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Babar Baloch, told a news briefing in Geneva that a plane carrying 32 tonnes of items landed in Khartoum on Friday, while another one is scheduled to leave Dubai on Monday with 100 tonnes of additional relief materials.

''The transportation costs of both flights were generously covered by the Government of United Arab Emirates,'' said Baloch.

''In total, we plan to send four airlifts,'' he added. 

The first batch of shipment included 5,000 blankets, 4,500 solar lamps, 2,900 mosquito nets, 200 plastic sheets and 200 plastic rolls, while the second batch will carry 1,275 family tents and 10 prefabricated warehouses that will benefit more than 16,000 people.

The UNHCR’s global stockpile is hosted by the International Humanitarian City (IHC) in Dubai.

The UAE announced last week that it will allocate AED 18.4 million (US$5.0 million) in support of the recently arrived Ethiopian refugees in Sudan.

According to the UNHCR, since the start of the conflict in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region in early November, more than 43,000 refugees have crossed into Sudan seeking protection and shelter.

The agency added that it needs more funds and Sudan needs international support urgently to help the refugees, almost half of whom are children.

Concerns are also growing in Tigray region for the safety of civilians caught in the conflict, particularly in the capital Mekele, which is home to more than 500,000 people.