More than 5,000 Sudanese refugees in a forest in the Amhara region have complained about deteriorating humanitarian conditions due to shortages of food and medicine.
The refugees who were forced to leave the Oulala Camp in May due to the worsening security conditions were intercepted by Ethiopian authorities and compelled to stay in the forest.
Since Wednesday, the stranded refugees have gone on a hunger strike to protest their detention in the forest, depletion of food and medicine, and heavy rainfall, which they have endured due to lack of proper shelters.
A refugee Al-Samani Adam, confirmed that there several challenges due to the lack of medicine, food, and shelter.
“We are using bed sheets to protect ourselves from the heavy rains that rain on us for hours, and we have nothing to protect ourselves from the extreme weather,” she lamented. “We have young children with us and no materials to shield us from the rains.”
Another refugee, Ibrahim Adam, corroborated the information and said they are living in the forest without any shelter or tarpaulins to protect them from the elements, especially rain.
“It has been raining heavily on us for more than two hours now. We are now suffering under dire conditions,” he said. “We urgently call on international organizations to intervene and save us from the worsening conditions in this forest.”