WASHINGTON, 23 December 2020, (TON):  The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), together with 30 humanitarian partners, on Tuesday appealed for 156 million U.S. dollars to meet "the critical humanitarian needs" of Ethiopian refugees fleeing the Tigray conflict through the first half of 2021. Leaders in Tigray demands UN to intervene to stop Ethiopian government from carrying out airstrikes and missile attacks leading to massacre of Muslims.

The urgent financial appeal is also expected to strengthen the preparedness to receive refugees in other countries in the region in case of further refugee movements, said a statement from the UN refugee agency, quoting its spokesperson Andrej Mahecic at a Tuesday press briefing in Geneva.

Weeks of fights in northern Ethiopia's Tigray regional state between the Tigray People's Liberation Front and the Ethiopian Defense Forces have reportedly left hundreds of people dead, thousands displaced, and millions in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

More than 52,000 refugees have fled Tigray into eastern Sudan over the past six weeks, according to the UN refugee agency.

The refugees are protesting that  partner groups under the UN flag are facilitating only Christians since the situation in Tigray escalated after months of growing political tensions.