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ADDIS ABABA - The number of people displaced by armed clashes from rural areas in the north of Ethiopia has increased to more than 50,000 since April 13, according to local authorities, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said on Monday.

In a situation report issued on Monday, UNOCHA disclosed that most of the displaced people -- mostly women, children, and the elderly -- are still seeking refuge in the towns of Kobo and Sekota in the Amhara region.

The humanitarian situation is dire, with thousands of women and children in need of broad humanitarian support to survive. Government and humanitarian partners have started providing food and health services, which remain inadequate due to limited resources.

On April 13 and 14, armed clashes occurred in Alamata town in northern Ethiopia. An undetermined number of casualties were reported, while many civilians reportedly fled towards neighboring Kobo and Sekota, said UNOCHA in a previous report.