Six Sudanese Refugees Injured in Attack on Olala Forests in Ethiopia

Moatinoon
An armed group attacked Sudanese refugees stranded in the Olala forests in the Amhara region of Ethiopia at 7 PM today. The Sudanese Refugee Coordination Committee in the Amhara region reported that the armed attack resulted in serious injuries to six Sudanese refugees.

Hundreds of Sudanese refugees reside in the Olala forests in the Amhara region, having left the refugee camp in the area due to deteriorating security conditions caused by attacks from armed groups, as well as poor health and food services.

In early May, the refugees organized a protest march aimed at reaching Gondar, the second-largest city in the region. However, Ethiopian security authorities intercepted the march at the time. The refugees refused to return to the Olala camp and chose to remain in the surrounding forests.

The Ethiopian authorities and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) acknowledged the dire situation faced by refugees in the Olala and Kumer camps.

This week, the authorities completed the transfer of approximately 2,500 refugees from the Kumer camp to the Aftit camp after deciding to close the Olala and Kumer camps permanently.

According to a report released today by the UNHCR, 2,484 refugees were relocated, including 1,584 from the Kumer camp.