Security

Red Cross Evacuates 161 People from Tigray, Including Airline Staff and AU Observers

BBC · 6 hours ago · Read the Full Story on BBC
Red Cross Evacuates 161 People from Tigray, Including Airline Staff and AU Observers
AI SUMMARY

The International Committee of the Red Cross has evacuated 161 individuals, including airline personnel and African Union observers, from the conflict-affected Tigray region.

  • The International Committee of the Red Cross relocated 161 people from the Tigray region.
  • Those evacuated include federal police members, Ethiopian Airlines staff, civil aviation security personnel, African Union observers, and Ethiopian Red Cross Society members, along with their families.
  • The evacuation was carried out following requests and consent from all relevant authorities as a neutral intermediary.
  • The transit from Mekelle to Semera in the Afar region was conducted using Red Cross-marked buses and staff escorts.
  • Tigrayan forces recently took control of three airports in the region, including Alula Aba Nega Airport in Mekelle, leading to indefinite flight suspensions by Ethiopian Airlines.
  • Flights to Kombolcha resumed after a temporary suspension, while flights to Lalibela remain halted.
  • Fighting continues along the border areas of the Amhara and Afar regions.
  • Ethio Telecom phone and internet services remain disconnected in Tigray, straining trade and financial transactions.