Conflict and COVID Test Ethiopia

Conflict in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, piled on top of one of Africa’s worst COVID-19 outbreaks, is pushing humanitarian responders to their limit.

The fighting has displaced nearly 1 million people, sending more than 45,000 to crowded camps in Sudan—where coronavirus response capacity, supplies and masks are in short supply. A Mercy Corps aid worker said there are a lot of chest infections at the Umm Rakouba camp, but no materials to test for the coronavirus.

Ethiopia surpassed 100,000 confirmed coronavirus infections last month.

And yet, the pandemic isn't the top concern for many of the refugees. They’ve witnessed deadly attacks and fear for family members left behind; and now, they face hunger, heat, and thirst in the camps.

Meanwhile, Tigray’s largest hospital “is running dangerously low on sutures, antibiotics, anticoagulants, painkillers, and even gloves,” according to the ICRC’s Maria Soledad, as humanitarian aid to the region has been blocked since the onset of fighting.

AP