Eritrean refugees in war-hit Ethiopia – in pictures

Civilians fleeing violence gather at Semera

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  Thousands of Eritrean refugees have fled on foot through the harsh, rugged terrain of Ethiopia’s Afar region, to escape the latest outbreak of shelling and gunfire. All photos: AFP

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  Civilians fleeing the violence gather at the compound of the Agda Hotel, in Semera.

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  Women refugees wait at the hotel to be registered by the authorities.

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  Those lucky enough to escape the latest violence are now scattered across Afar, facing uncertainty in a country they once regarded as a haven from their repressive homeland.

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  A woman gets her hair braided outside the Agda Hotel.

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  The fighting has renewed debate on how to accommodate one of the most vulnerable groups in Africa's second most populous country.

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  ‘Ethiopia is no longer a safe place for Eritrean refugees – that's quite clear,’ said Sarah Miller of Refugees International.

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  Refugee charities have highlighted the 'scale and scope' of abuse of Eritreans at every stage of the 15-month war in Ethiopia.

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  Eritrean refugees have a long history in northern Ethiopia, first arriving in 2000 towards the end of a two-year border war.

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  Before the current conflict, the UN said 113,000 Eritrean refugees were registered in Tigray and Afar.

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  Most have fled from the authoritarian rule of President Isaias Afwerki, whose abysmal rights record has led Eritrea being nicknamed 'Africa's North Korea'.

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  Girls are seen through a glass at the compound of the Agda Hotel, in the city of Semera, Afar region, Ethiopia, on February 14, 2022. - Thousands of Eritrean refugees, shell-shocked and separated from loved ones, fled on foot through harsh terrain to escape artillery and gunfire. (Photo by EDUARDO SOTERAS / AFP)

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  An attack on the Bahrale camp this month was part of a broader offensive in Afar that diplomats say represents the latest setback to the prospect of peace talks.

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  'They kidnapped some refugee women, we do not know where they are,' said one survivor, who became separated from her sister and 9-year-old son.

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  Hundreds of refugees from Bahrale have since sought shelter at the Agda Hotel, gathering under cardboard boxes or spindly trees in the courtyard to shield themselves from the sun.

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