New York, NY, December 10, 2020 — The IRC regrets to confirm the killing of a staff member in Hitsats Refugee Camp in Shire, Ethiopia. We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague; our in-country staff are the very heart of our work and are key in our ability to provide support and assistance to our clients. Communication with the area is extremely difficult and we are still working to gather and confirm the details surrounding the events that led to the death of our colleague.
Ethiopia’s Tigray region has been experiencing an intense bout of conflict since early November, which has forced almost 50,000 people to seek refuge in Sudan. The IRC is working in Tigray to support 96,000 refugees in four camps with a range of services, including clean water, sanitation, and education.
We call on all parties to the conflict to agree to an immediate ceasefire and ensure civilians, including refugees and aid workers, are protected and able to continue to access and deliver life saving services.