Crisis alert level 4 or mandatory evacuation has been raised in Ethiopia due to “continued and intensifying conflict” in the African nation, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced Thursday night.

The DFA advised against traveling to the Eastern African nation and asked Filipinos residing there to restrict non-essential movements, avoid public places and immediately prepare for evacuation.

Alert level 4 is raised when there is a “large-scale internal conflict or full-blown external attack”, under which, the Philippine government undertakes mandatory evacuation procedures.

As of December 2020, the DFA said there are around 800 Filipinos in Ethiopia.

The Ethiopian government has been battling forces from Tigray since November last year after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front attacked a federal army base in the region.

According to the United Nations, the war has left thousands dead and pushed about 400,000 people into “famine-like” conditions.

On Monday, it said the year-long conflict had reached “disastrous proportions” and warned of “grave uncertainty” surrounding the future of Ethiopia and stability of the whole Horn of Africa.

Filipinos in Ethiopia who need assistance may contact the Philippine Embassy in Cairo, Egypt at (+202) 252-13062 or through its Facebook Page.

They may also contact the Philippine Honorary Consul in Addis Ababa by email at [email protected] or by telephone: (+251) 118 648 752. (PNA)