Eritrean refugees in war-hit Ethiopia – in pictures

Civilians fleeing violence gather at Semera

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

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

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

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.

A woman gets her hair braided outside the Agda Hotel.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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.

'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.

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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