LOC00:45
21:45 GMT
NEW YORK, Nov 30 (KUNA) -- UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi appealed Monday for USD 147 million to support around 100,000 people who were fleeing from hostilities in Tigray, Ethiopia, to neighboring Sudan.
UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said in a statement more than 43,000 people, half of them children, escaped from fighting taking place in Ethiopia in recent weeks.
Grandi commended Sudan for hosting the Ethiopian refugees.
"The government of Sudan kept the borders open in a demonstration of the African and Sudanese hospitality, and I would like to commend it as an example for the international community, but it needs more support," he said.
He expressed concern over the fate of around 100,000 refugees from Eritrea and were kept in Tigray. "Ethiopia is a hospitable country for refugees but they are stuck in the middle of this conflict and we cannot reach them," he added.
UN's World Food Program (WFP) said shortage in funding forced it to reduce meals for refugees in East Africa.
WFP said it was in dire need to USD 209 million to help 6.2 million people in the coming six months.
The International Committee of Red Cross said relief workers were suffering from severe shortage in food and medical supplies, including body bags. (end)
asf.bs