TEHRAN, April 23 (MNA) – More than 50,000 people have been displaced by clashes in a disputed area in northern Ethiopia, the United Nations said."The number of people displaced by the armed clashes in Alamata Town, and Raya Alamata, Zata, and Ofla since 13/14 April has reached more than 50,000," AFP reported citing the UN late on Monday.

"The humanitarian situation is dire, with thousands of women and children in need of broad humanitarian support to survive," it added.

The UN cited the figures from local authorities in the disputed area, which is claimed by Tigray and neighboring Amhara.

It is impossible to verify the situation on the ground independently as media access to northern Ethiopia is heavily restricted.

Reports of the fighting have sparked alarm among the international community, with the embassies of several nations including the United States, Japan, Britain, and France on Saturday calling for dialogue and urging the "de-escalation and protection of civilians".

Amhara, Ethiopia's second most populous region, has been wracked by clashes since April 2023, when the federal government's decision to dismantle regional forces across the country triggered clashes.

AMK/PR