TIGRAY REGION REFUGEES SET TO RUN OUT OF FOOD

GENEVA Nearly 100,000 Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia’s Tigray region will run out of food as early as next week if parties to the conflict do not allow humanitarian access, the UN refugee agency said on Friday.

African peace envoys met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Friday, a day after he said that the military was beginning the “final phase” of an offensive which rights groups fear could bring huge civilian casualties.

The UNHCR says 96,000 Eritrean refugees are living in four camps in Tigray.

“They would be running out of food as of Monday — we are ready with our supplies trying to reach these populations,” UNHCR spokesman Babar Baloch told a Geneva briefing.

The United Nations, which still has staff in Tigray, has been negotiating with all parties to the conflict for access but there is no sign yet of a breakthrough.