In Sudan, thousands of Ethiopian refugees are fleeing war

Brut America

"We never expected to be refugees."  Meanwhile in Sudan, tens of thousands of Ethiopians are fleeing the war that has devastated the Tigray region since early November.

Transcript

00:00We never expected to be refugees, we never expected to see those shelters, we never expected.

00:31There's about 46,000 refugees who have crossed the border in, honestly, about a month's time.

00:39You really, you saw lives interrupted.

00:42We are worried about the situation in Tigray, very worried.

01:12We are worried about the situation in Gurgwadu, in Gurew,

01:24we are worried about the situation in Sarasalam,

01:29we are worried about the situation in Yadna, in Takatatla, in Fallaga, in Ginyal.

01:42We are confident that in a relatively short period of time we will accomplish our objectives

01:52and create a conducive environment for life to return to normalcy for our citizens in Tigray.

01:59Now I'm trying to survive, I'm trying to start life again.

02:13So I hope maybe the world will have to help the people who are suffering here.

02:27Refugees are fleeing from conflict, they are afraid of violence,

02:31they are afraid also to an extent of intercommunal violence,

02:35and I have asked many of them, what is your wish?

02:40Most of them, if not all of them, want to go back, but only if peace prevails and their security is ensured.

02:58This whole crisis has happened very, very quickly.

03:04People were doctors, they're teachers, they're farmers,

03:10and they heard gunshots or heard bombs and they just left.

03:18They took their children and they left.

03:21So you're also seeing a lot of separated families.

03:24There's still a communications blackout, so it's difficult for us to know everything that's happening.

03:30It's difficult for us to be able to confirm various reports and rumors,

03:36but what we do know is that supplies and things like food and water, fuel, cash, they are running out.

03:47And here you have Sudan, which is already facing challenges in transition,

03:53in an area that's remote, that doesn't have a lot of resources,

03:58really working hard to not only take these refugees in,

04:02but set up this camp and find solutions for them while they're here,

04:07until hopefully there's peace enough for them to go home.

04:11It's a very stressful year because the coronavirus has its own impact in our daily life,

04:17in our economy, in our mental health.

04:21And then this war also broke out.

04:23This war also has a great impact on our overall things,

04:29in our health, in our economy, in our daily life.

04:32So those things mixed together make us more stressful.

04:41For more UN videos visit www.un.org

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