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Rights Groups Concerned Over Safety of Eritrean Refugees in Ethiopia

Reports of attacks on Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia's Tigray area are causing concern among human rights groups.

About 96,000 Eritrean refugees lived in four camps in Tigray before the conflict started in November. Many fled to Sudan or to other parts of the country including the capital Addis Ababa.

Sarah Miller¹ is with Refugees International, an independent group working to support refugees. She said Eritreans are being picked up and returned to Tigray or to their homeland against their wishes.

"There's a lot of concern that Eritreans are being forced back to places where they would be in danger," she said. Miller added that could be inside Ethiopia, in Tigray or even in Eritrea.

Miller told VOA the reports are coming in from refugees, family members and non-governmental organizations, or NGOs, that are active in Ethiopia.

Two Senators step in

Chris Melzer is part of UNHCR's emergency team in Ethiopia. He told VOA that his organization did not have permission to return to the four refugee camps in Tigray. However, there is once again food aid at two of the camps. He too is concerned about reports of violence against refugees.

"We are aware of many stories about killings² and abductions from the camps," he said. He added that UNHCR cannot confirm the stories now, but if they are true, it would be a violation⁴ of international law.

The issue has gotten the attention of U.S. officials. In a joint⁵ statement, U.S. Senators Cory Booker of New Jersey⁶ and Todd Young of Indiana demanded that all parties in the conflict follow the law and protect civilians⁷. They asked that Eritrean soldiers permit refugees to flee violence.

"We are deeply concerned by reports of Eritrean refugees in Tigray being killed, abducted⁸ and forcibly returned to Eritrea by Eritrean forces, as well as disturbing reports that some trying to reach safer areas are being prevented from leaving," the senators said.

Evidence of soldiers seen by satellite

Recent reports suggest that Eritrean soldiers have been involved in the Tigray conflict. Reuters says five diplomats⁹ have pointed¹⁰ to evidence of soldiers on the ground from satellite pictures, communications and reports from Tigray. 

A State Department spokesperson told VOA there are believable reports of Eritrean forces harming refugees and preventing them from getting to safety.

"All parties must respect human rights and international humanitarian¹¹ law," the spokesperson said.

But the Eritrean minister of information, Yemane Gebremeskel, said the United Nations is responsible for the difficulties of Eritrean refugees in the Tigray area.

Redwan Hussien is a spokesman for the Ethiopian government's task force in Tigray. After federal forces shot at a U.N. team, Hussein said that no one is permitted to move about in the region without the government's permission.

Bad conditions

Refugee International's Miller said the conditions in refugee camps in Tigray have become very bad and there are shortages of necessities.

"The U.N. has been reporting very low, low supply of food, medical supplies, fuel," she said. "There's very little resources that refugees would have to survive which is why we're seeing so many starting to leave the camps."

Miller said officials should permit those fleeing on foot to do so safely.

"There is a right to flee for your life no matter where you are." she said.

Words in This Story

abduct³ – v. to take (someone) away from a place by force

disturbing – adj. causing worry or upset

1 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

2 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

3 abduct   

vt.诱拐，拐带，绑架

参考例句：

• The police caught the man who tried to abduct the boy for ransom.警察抓住了那个企图拐走这男孩以便勒索赎金的家伙。
• The news that we see those use network abduct children sometimes filled with apprehension.我们有时看到那些利用网络诱拐儿童的新闻都心惊肉跳。

4 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

5 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

6 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

7 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

8 abducted   

劫持，诱拐( abduct的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（肢体等）外展

参考例句：

• Detectives have not ruled out the possibility that she was abducted. 侦探尚未排除她被绑架的可能性。
• The kid was abducted at the gate of kindergarten. 那小孩在幼儿园大门口被绑架走了。

9 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

11 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。