The Sri Lanka Embassy in Ethiopia, in consultation with the Foreign Ministry of Sri Lanka and the United Nations in Ethiopia, successfully facilitated the evacuation of thirty-eight (38) Sri Lankan nationals from the war zone in Tigray region in the northern part of Ethiopia, the Embassy said in a statement.
The Sri Lankan nationals, along with foreign nationals belonging to a number of countries, were evacuated by United Nations convoys from Tigray to the Afar region of Ethiopia and have been transported to the capital Addis Ababa. The Sri Lankan nationals, all employed in the garment industry in Ethiopia, are due to be repatriated back to Sri Lanka soon.
The Government of Ethiopia commenced military operations in the Tigray region on 04 November 2020 after regional forces belonging to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) attacked a federal army base.