A Dumfriesshire couple helped move patients from an Ethiopian hospital after violence erupted on the country’s streets.

Charity volunteers Alison Boyes and her husband Dr David Ball were working near Addis Ababa when civil unrest led to the evacuation on Saturday.

The pair had to transport patients to another medical facility amid violent clashes between ethnic groups.

Alison, from Irongray, said: “We moved them using minibuses and local drivers.

“We also had to transport all the drugs and equipment needed to feed, clothe and look after them.

“The government declared a state of emergency on Sunday and set up a curfew.

“That has now been lifted but it’s increasingly difficult to find out what is happening as the government has blocked all social media sites and many news sites.

“We do still have access to emails so I’ve managed to speak to my daughter.

“When we ask Ethiopians about the political situation they don’t seem to know any more than we do.”

Two of the country’s largest ethnic groups, the Oromo and the Amhara, have been protesting against the government, claiming that a tiny and elite percentage hold all the power.

That has led to angry scenes on the streets as government forces try to stop them.

Alison and David are volunteers with the Facing Africa charity which carries out operations on victims of a flesh-eating disease called noma.

David, who works at DGRI, is an anaesthetist and Alison, a former medical doctor, acts as the charity’s official photographer.

They only flew in to the country on Saturday and were immediately caught up in the drama.

Alison said: “When we arrived we were based in a Leonard Cheshire home around 20 miles from Addis.

“We had a meeting with the head of the charity who said that due to the civil unrest the decision had been taken to evacuate the patients.

“We knew they would do all they could to ensure our safety and also the violence was not directed at us.

“We’re safe and don’t feel scared. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens but we’re still happy to be here and working for this important cause.

“Every morning since then we walk to the hospital along a busy road and carry out the operations as planned.

“In Addis it seems like business as usual.

“Right now we will focus on our work. That’s the important thing.”

This is the second time the couple, who have three children, have worked in the country.

They are due to return to Scotland next month.