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Ethiopian students who fled to Djibouti from April onwards, after violent riots, have complained of poor conditions in Ali Ade camp, situated about 120 km southwest of Djibouti town. A student living in the camp told IRIN that the recently arrived refugees from Ethiopia were in poor physical condition because of a lack of a balanced diet, and a limited water supply. Students complain that inadequate health facilities and language difficulties have led to sickness among the new arrivals in the camp.
They have also expressed fears about the security of the camp, as it is near to the borders with Ethiopia and Somalia. A group of five students, who arrived together in Djibouti town on 18 June, said they had fled Ethiopia after participating in the student protests, and spent a week walking from the border to the city, and . “We couldn’t stay any longer because the security forces got our address and tried to catch us,” one told IRIN. More than 30 people were killed by the security forces in violent popular riots which followed the student action.
The UNHCR representative in Djibouti, Tadesse Abebe, earlier told IRIN that UNHCR had given students asylum and were treating them properly.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
