HL Deb 29 November 2000 vol 619 cc141-2WA
Lord Hylton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether there has been any progress by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in arranging the return home of those displaced by recent fighting between Ethiopia and Eritrea. [HL4787]

Baroness Scotland of Asthal

Precise figures are not available. But there has been some progress. The UNHCR have assisted the return of 25,000 Eritreans from Sudan and estimate that at least 5,000 have returned of their own accord. The Eritrean Government estimate that 600,000 displaced persons have returned home since the fighting stopped. The ICRC, UNHCR and other humanitarian organisations continue to assist the return of displaced persons from both countries.