4,765 trucks carrying relief supplies to Ethiopia's Tigray since April: UNHCR

ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Wednesday said a total of 4,765 trucks carrying relief supplies have entered Ethiopia's conflict-hit Tigray region since April.

The UNHCR, in its latest Ethiopia emergency situation update posted Wednesday, said that since the resumption of humanitarian convoys into the Tigray region in April, 4,765 trucks carrying relief supplies have entered the region, including more than 60 trucks from UNHCR.

It warned that the shortage of fuel remains a critical bottleneck to sustaining relief operations in Tigray, hindering the onward distribution of relief supplies from Mekelle, the regional capital of Tigray, to other areas.

The UN refugee agency said the humanitarian situation across northern Ethiopia continues to seriously impact refugees, the internally displaced and host communities.

"Civilians have endured months of conflict with extremely limited basic services and assistance available, leading to a significant escalation in humanitarian needs with ongoing new displacements," the UNHCR said, stressing the security situation remains volatile in the region, affecting civilians and constraining humanitarian actors on the ground, despite the announcement of a humanitarian truce.

Meanwhile, the UNHCR said health services resumed in the Mai Aini and Adi Harush refugee camps, predominantly hosting Eritrean refugees, with the support of UNHCR providing fuel for ambulances to facilitate the referral of emergency cases to Shire and other referral hospitals. Salaries of health staff were paid for the first time after ten months.

Primary education also restarted in both camps with 826 learners enrolled in Adi Harush and 457 learners in Mai Aini. Water supply services resumed in July across the two camps.

The UNHCR further said it has continued to reach out to Eritrean refugees and provide cash support to the most vulnerable across Ethiopia's Tigray region.