Authorities in Ethiopia say thousands of Ethiopians have fled to neighbouring Sudan to escape violent attacks in the northern Tigray region.

Alsir Khaled, head of Sudan’s refugee agency in the eastern border town of Kassal, said several Ethiopian soldiers were among those crossing the border.

“Refugees are pouring in, and the situation is changing by the hour,” he said.

He added that at least 2,500 refugees had migrated in the past two days, but that authorities had not yet taken any “action” on the arrival of hundreds more.

Alsir Khalid said that at least 30 Ethiopian soldiers had also “surrendered at a Sudanese military post.”

It should be noted that the Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed had sent troops and warplanes against the regional government in Tigray.

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An eyewitness said families with young children were struggling to cross the river to reach Sudan.

A large number of women and children are trying to migrate, he said.

Babar Baloch, a spokesman for the UN refugee agency, said there were “more than a hundred refugees” at the two border entrances to the Sudanese state of Gaddafi.

He said the UNHCR was “mobilizing resources to provide life-saving assistance”.

Babar Baloch said that “incoming refugees are being screened and they will be shifted from the border areas to the reception centre at Shigrab camp in Kasala state”.

It should be noted that there was a long-running feud between the government and the local administration of Tigre and clashes started last week.

Dozens of people were killed in the airstrikes, while fears were expressed that the fighting could lead to civil war in the country and could affect neighbouring countries.

The United Nations says fighting between Ethiopian central government troops and Tigre forces continues in eight different locations.

Prime Minister Abe Mohammed had ordered the army to carry out operations in the region after pro-Tigra forces seized a central army base in Macaulay.

The Ethiopian cabinet has also declared a six-month state of emergency in the region.