Tens of thousands of Eritreans paid the ultimate price of sacrificing their lives for freedom with the expectation of building a peaceful, democratic, and prosperous nation.  Unfortunately, the heavy price paid for freedom, instead, has led Eritreans to be ruled under one of the world’s most enduring totalitarians, Isaias Afwerki and the officials of the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ).  Eritrea is a nation where human rights are non-existent. It is a country with no rule of law, rampant unlawful incarceration, endless national service with no reciprocating compensation. These prevailing conditions in the country are forcing thousands of Eritreans to flee their country in masses. Eritreans are taking refuge all over the world. In neighbouring Ethiopia alone, there were 100,000 refugees in the four camps – Shimelba, Hitsats, Mai-Ayni and Adi Harush in Tigray when the civil war in Tigray region errupted in November.  

These refugee camps in Tigray, being located in the center of a war zone, the regugees are in great harm of being in the line of fire, and all humanitarian services being disrapted. UNHCR and other aid agencies have not had access to the four main Eritrean refugee camps since the erruption of the war. Thousands of Eritrean refugees, including the sick, unaccompanied minors, women and babies are suffering and dying due to being direct victims of shooting and bombings and lack of food, shelter, medicine, and other humanitarian services.  

To make things worse, The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said it has received an “overwhelming” number of reports about Eritrean refugees in Tigray being killed, abducted, or forcibly returned to Eritrea since fighting in Ethiopia’s northernmost region began more than a month ago.  “If confirmed, these actions would constitute a major violation of international law,” UNHCR head Filippo Grandi said in a statement. “Al Jazeera, 12/11/2020).

Alarmed by the disastrous ordeal that the Eritrean refugees in Tigray region of Ethiopia are experiencing, Eritrean Women Association In North America, appeals to the United States, the European Union, the United Nations, African Union and the International Community at large to lend appropriate attention to the plight of Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia and Sudan by helping to address the following urgent matters:

• We call for UNHCR to intervene for the safety and security of refugees in Ethiopia.
• Accord humanitarian treatment and offer political asylum to Eritreans refugees who are asking for political asylum anywhere in the world. 
• Due to the Civil War in Ethiopia, all Eritrean refugees in that country registered with the UNHCR be immediately evacuated to safety; and resettled in a safe 3rd country; especially the sick, unaccompanied minors, women, and babies.
• Require the Ethiopian government to abide by its international obligation in protecting Eritrean refugees from being kidnapped by the Eritrean regime
• Ensure that the Ethiopian government gives access to UNHCR and other humanitarian organizations to provide all necessary humanitarian, food and medical assistance.
• Stop all forced repatriations of Eritrean refugees back to Eritrea so long as the current regime is in power.
• Protection of refugees and humanitarian access and respect for international humanitarian law