Eyewitnesses who have fled Mekelle, the capital of Ethiopia's Tigray region, is under fierce bombardment.<br />CNN reports a communications blackout in the region has made reporting on claims from both sides difficult.<br />About half a million residents live in Mekelle. UNICEF says roughly half of them are children.<br />More than 43,000 Ethiopian refugees have crossed into neighboring Sudan since fighting began on November 4th.<br />The number of people internally displaced inside Tigray is growing daily.<br />According to the UNHCR, the pre-existing refugee camps in the region only have food supplies to last three days.
