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Ethiopia Refugee Update October – December 2013

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Ethiopia
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UNHCR
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Ethiopia Received over 5,000 New Refugees

Five thousand one hundred and ninety three new refugees were registered in Ethiopia in the last two months and this brings to 427,077 the total number of refugees Ethiopia hosted by 30 November 2013. Nearly half (2,496) of the new arrivals came from Eritrea while the rest represent newcomers from Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan combined.

With over 240,000 Somalis, 81,000 Eritreans and 70,000 South Sudanese, among others, Ethiopia is today the second biggest refugee hosting country in Africa, next only to Kenya. The refugees are currently sheltered in a total of 18 refugee camps, including eight for Somali refugees, six for Eritrean refugees, three for Sudanese refugees and one accommodating refugees from South Sudan. In Addition, there are two community support centers in the south where Kenyan refugees access some services, as well as three sites in the west which should be developed into refugee camps to shelter Sudanese and South Sudanese refugees.

Notable among them are Ashura in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, already hosting close to 3,000 Sudanese refugees and Okugo in the Gambella region which should soon shelter some 6,000 South Sudanese refugees who fled tribal conflicts in Jonglie State since last May.

UNHCR and ARRA are working to speed up the development of the two sites in order to accommodate those that are already in the country as well as potential new arrivals.