The border conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea which has flared up in recent weeks has had serious consequences for business through Eritrea's Red Sea ports.

At the beginning of the crisis nine months ago, Ethiopia banned its ships from using Eritrean ports, diverting them instead to Djibouti.

That means that in the heat of midday, the streets of Assab are even quieter than normal.

Ethiopian soldiers leave for the border

Before the crisis, trucks from Ethiopia would regularly fill the streets, picking up imported goods such as machinery and vehicle spare parts bound for the Ethiopian market.

With the Ethiopian border, at this point only about 70 kilometres away, Assab was an important transit port for Ethiopia's import and export, sending coffee, tea and beans.

When the Ethiopian blockade began, transit business dried up.

At least 30,000 Eritreans shipped north

Two of three cargo ships belonging to Eritrean government shipping agency have been used over the past month to transport Eritreans deported by Ethiopia.

Agency officials estimate that between 30,000 and 35,000 deportees have been shipped from Assab to the port of Massawa, further north, where they were given temporary shelter.

Tesfu Twelde, an official at the government shipping agency, said that before the crisis he ran a lucrative transit business handling imported chemicals, stationery and raw materials for Ethiopian clients.

The border war halted his trade and, as he thinks, of 25 similar enterprises, too.

The port of Assab was a place of work for thousands of Ethiopians. Many of these returned to Ethiopia when they found themselves suddenly unemployed.

The few ships which now come into Assab, are bringing goods for the Eritrean market only and also exporting salt from the salt works which are close to the port.