Ethiopian refugees fleeing fighting in Tigray province queue to receive supplies at the Um Rakuba camp in Sudan's eastern Gedaref province, on Nov 16, 2020. (EBRAHIM HAMID / AFP)

Aid workers are gearing up to cope with increased numbers of refugees fleeing a conflict that erupted in Ethiopia's Tigray region this month.

Thousands of refugees have been crossing into neighboring Sudan over the past two weeks amid fears that the fighting between Ethiopian troops and provincial forces could prompt a humanitarian crisis.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, or UNHCR, said the numbers of people who have reached Sudan from Tigray surpassed 20,000 on Sunday. They are being sheltered in transit centers near border entry points.

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We are urging governments in the neighboring countries to keep their borders open for people forced from their homes.

Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the UNHCR Regional Bureau Director

The UNHCR and Sudanese authorities are screening and registering the new arrivals as well as providing them with water and meals, the agency said. It said it is stepping up emergency relief preparedness in the region, working with governments and partners to put in place measures to respond to the arrival of more refugees as the situation evolves.

"We are urging governments in the neighboring countries to keep their borders open for people forced from their homes," Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the UNHCR Regional Bureau Director, said on Saturday. "The UNHCR is also asking Ethiopian authorities to take steps that will allow aid to safely reach refugees and the internally displaced within Tigray.

"With thousands of refugees arriving at the Sudanese border within the last 24 hours and with the conflict appearing to escalate we expect those numbers to rise sharply."

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched military operations in Tigray on Nov 4 after he accused local authorities of attacking a military camp in the region and trying to loot military supplies.

The Tigray People's Liberation Front, or TPLF, which holds sway in the province, denies the accusations. It says the prime minister concocted the story to justify the offensive.

On Sunday, TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael said his forces fired a volley of rockets into Asmara, the capital of neighboring Eritrea, late on Saturday. He also claimed that 16 Eritrean military divisions are fighting alongside the Ethiopian government troops against the TPLF forces.

The governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea have denied the claims. In a statement posted on Twitter on Sunday, Prime Minister Abiy said his country is capable of carrying out the military operations in Tigray and does not need outside help.

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Contact the writer at otiato@chinadaily.com.cn