Skip to main content

Ethiopia: UNHCR Operational Update, June 2022

Countries
Ethiopia
Sources
UNHCR
Publication date
Origin
View original

Protection

4,800 newly displaced due to conflict in Oromia region: UNHCR reported new displacements in West Wollega of Oromia Region, as a result of recent violence. Following the incident at Gimbi Woreda of West Wollega Zone on 18 June, around 1,200 IDP households (4,800 individuals) were displaced from areas impacted by hostilities. The IDPs are currently sheltered in Arjo Gudatu town in Diga Woreda, East Wollega Zone. As of end June, the number of internally displaced persons in West Wollega stands at 12,649, including 4,992 children and 1,504 women. The East Wollega Disaster Risk Management Office (DRMO) has reported that the IDPs are in urgent need of food, emergency shelter, NFIs, healthcare and protection assistance.

World Refugee Day commemmorated across Ethiopia: This year, World Refugee Day (WRD) was marked in 16 of 23 refugee camps across six regional states in Ethiopia, as well as in capital Addis Ababa and in Mekelle, with an aim to remind the public of the fundamental right to seek asylum, but also to acknowledge the traditional solidarity of the Ethiopian people towards refugees. UNHCR staff, in collaboration with Government entities, partners, UN sister agencies, NGOs and INGOs, and other stakeholders marked the WRD with sports events, sanitation campaigns, cultural performances and other manifestations, with participation of thousands of refugees and IDPs and host community members.

For example, in the Somali Region, UNHCR with support from the community and partners, marked the WRD with various activities including camp cleaning campaigns, talent shows, tree planting, youth sports events, tea talk session with women and girls about their rights, and a COVID-19 vaccination campaign. Celebrations included song and dance performances by refugees.

In Mekelle, the capital of Tigray Region, refugee children living in the ERDA children’s village performed inspirational songs, motivational poems, dance choreography and drama, highlighting the daily refugee hardship. In Mai Aini and Adi Harush camps in Tigray refugees performed drama and poems citations, expressing refugee resilience and voicing their needs, including food, medicine and water, as well as for lasting solutions to their situation. In its performance, the drama group also addressed problems related to people smuggling, GBV, and family separation.

At the Alemwach site, in the Amhara Region, refugees were joined by UNHCR, the Government Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS), partners and the local population to commemorate the WRD focusing on the promotion of social cohesion with the host population.

In Aysaita camp, in the Afar Region, UNHCR and partners organized two mass sanitation campaigns for a clean and safe environment. An awareness-raising campaign was conducted around the WRD 2022 theme, reaching some 300 refugees.

UNHCR installs three communal kitchens in Tigray: UNHCR installed three communal kitchens with 48 electrical stoves to benefit IDP women (1,024 IDP households) in Selekleka site in Tigray region. The communal kitchens will support the household energy and livelihood needs of more than 5,000 IDPs in Tigray, increase safety of women and girls no longer forced to collect firewood, prevent deforestation of host communities, and strengthen the peaceful coexistence between IDPs and hosting communities.

UNHCR reaches 1,675 displaced people and host communities with legal aid in Nekemte: In June, UNHCR supported 1,675 individuals (IDPs and members of affected host community) with legal aid in Nekemte, in the Oromia Region. A total of 1, 339 persons (630 female) were reached with legal awareness service at centers located in Gutu Gida, Gida Ayana, Haro Limu, Sibu Sire, Nekemte prison, Kiramu, Shambu, Amuru, Mendi, Gimbi, Nejo and Boji Dermenji, while 336 (169 female) were assisted with legal aid (representation, advice, legal counselling and legal writing) in these locations.

Support to persons with specific needs: In Aw-barre, Somali Region, Action Aid Ethiopia and Rehabilation and Development Organization (RaDO) distributed bed sheets and mattresses to 77 persons with specific needs, including 13 asylum-seekers and 10 separated children (7 girls). In the same camp, RaDO provided a five-day training to 125 women and girls from Aw-barre camp on building entrepreneurship and small business management. The training targeted vulnerable women and girls with some experience in running small businesses. Additionally, five persons living with disablity received physiotherapy at the rehabilitation center in Aw-barre camp. In Sheder camp, RaDO provided new orthopaedic and mobility aid appliances - elbow crutches, inner tubes, rubber tips, wheelchairs - to 27 persons (13 female) to alleviate their day-to-day movement.

UNHCR organizes national workshop on revised 2021 BIP Guidelines: In June, UNHCR organized a two-day national workshop on the revised 2021 UNHCR Best Interests Procedure on Assessing and Determining the Best Interests of a Child Guidelines (BIP Guidelines) for all child protection partners and RRS in Ethiopia. The workshop, with 38 participants attending, was held in Addis Ababa with the objective to equip the child protection partners and RRS with the necessary knowledge and skills on BIP and child protection case management.