UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- Escalating drone activity and airstrikes in northern Ethiopia are putting civilians and civic infrastructure at growing risk and disrupting humanitarian operations, UN humanitarians said Thursday.
In its daily news update, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said fighting over key towns in the country's north has led to road closures, disrupting movements of people and humanitarian supplies.
While most health facilities in the region are either overwhelmed or no long functioning, hospitals in Korem and Alamata have received 480 casualties. Facilities in neighboring Amhara region reportedly have run out of emergency supplies.
Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes in the northeastern Afar region, according to preliminary findings from a government-led assessment. No verified displacement figures are available for Tigray and Amhara.
Humanitarian partners are mobilizing aid in Afar and assessing whether operations can resume in parts of Amhara. Operations in Tigray, however, are nearing a standstill because of insecurity and severe access constraints.
OCHA called for protection of humanitarians and safe, unimpeded humanitarian access to people in need. ■