News Release

12 May 2010

 

INCREASED REFUGEE INFLUX FROM SOMALIA AND ERITREA: CALL FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS

 

ADDIS ABABA – Amid a wave of refugees from Somalia and Eritrea, the Ethiopian Government and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced today that they need an additional US$13 million to be able to assist almost 25,000 refugees from Somalia expected to enter Ethiopia in the next few months.

 

This requirement is part of a global appeal launched in Geneva this morning in which UNHCR is seeking an additional US$38.4 million to ease the plight of more than 1.4 million internally displaced people (IDPs) and some 575,000 Somali refugees in neighbouring Kenya, Yemen, Ethiopia and Djibouti.

 

The 25,000 expected to come to Ethiopia would be joining another 140,000 refugees already residing in Ethiopia, more than 68,000 of whom are Somalis, some 42,000 Eritreans and 24,000 Sudanese.

 

Ayalew Aweke, Deputy Director of the government agency for refugees, the Administration for Refugees and Returnees Affairs (ARRA) said: “With the growing number of refugees, we call upon the donor community to support us to be able to address this humanitarian crisis.’’

UNHCR Representative in Ethiopia, Mr. Moses Okello said, “The money will be used to respond to the protection and assistance needs of the additional refugees, including meeting international standards for water, shelter, health care and sanitation.” UNHCR also needs to ensure proper reception, registration and screening of new arrivals, including identifying and separating possible combatants among arriving refugees as well as better security management in the camps and settlements, he added.

“The rapid influx of refugees from Southern Somalia and Eritrea has put immense strains on the limited available food resources,” added WFP Ethiopia Deputy Country Director Lynne Miller. “Without additional resources, WFP will be obliged to start reducing food rations of refugees as of June 2010.”

 

The number of new arrivals from Southern Somalia which was non-existent at the beginning of 2009 reached more than 35,000 by the end of April 2010, amounting to an average increase of almost 2,300 refugees per month. Similarly, the number of Eritrean refugees has increased by more than 16,000 since January 2009, representing an average monthly increase of 1,350 people. If refugees continue arriving at the same rate as since the beginning of 2009, some 197,000 refugees will require assistance by the end of 2010.

 

Over the past year, the Ethiopian government and UNHCR have been forced to establish new camps for Somali and Eritrean refugees; however, some key facilities such as water shelter, healthcare and education are not yet fully developed.

 

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For more information please contact:

UNHCR:

Kisut Gebre Egziabher, Senior Public Information Assistant-Ethiopia, tel. +251116612822; mobile: +251911208901; e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

As part of the effort to protect and assist  the seemingly never ending inflow of  refugees from Eritrea, the ARRA in close collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), today opened the third refugee camp  in the Tigray National Regional State.

This morning, the first convoy moved a total of 356 refugees from the screening center at Endabaguna, near Shire, all the way to Adi-Harush, located 82 kms from shire.

80 % of the first group is composed of mainly young people between the ages of 21 and 34 .They are part of predominantly young Eritreans arriving at a monthly average rate of nearly 2,000 and who invariably tell to registration officers on the ground that they crossed the border to avoid excessive repression, gross human rights violations and forced conscription into the army.

At the moment, the country hosts more than 49,000 Eritrean refugees in four refugee camps in Tigray and Afar Regions. There are two refugee camps in Tigray region, accommodating a total of 30,000 refugees. Shimelba camp was opened way back in 2004 and Mai-aini was established in 2008. In addition to those staying in Tigray Region, some 19,000 Ethnic Afar Eritrean refugees are enjoying international protection In the Afar National Regional State.

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As long as persecution and systematic rights abuse continue to be the way of life in Eritrea, we will continue to receive more and more refugees and to open more and more camps in Tigray and Afar Regions to accommodate them”, said Ato Ayalew Aweke, deputy director of the ARRA. He called for more international support in spirit of international burden sharing.

Before departing from the screening center, the refugees were provided with an assortment of non-food items, including jerry cans, sleeping mats, plastic sheeting and sanitary materials. Once in the camp, they will all be sheltered in a reception center for a maximum of three days until they are provided with tents. Some of the vulnerable, such as the girls, the elderly and the children will be provided with shelters made of stones and mud bricks. The refugees will be provided with cooked food while in the reception center.

The new camp was established on a plot at Adi-Harush, which was generously made available by the local authorities in Tselemti Wereda of north western Zone. It is still in its early stage of development with many of the crucial facilities and services yet to be put in place. However, the growing influx has led to the overcrowding of the reception center hence the decision to move people to the not-fully developed camp in order to decongest the former.

The ARRA deputy director acknowledged the enormous pressure the presence of the refugees will be putting on the fragile environment and meagre resources in the host communities, but reiterated the government’s commitment to continue honouring its international commitments.

However, Ato Ayalew noted that commitments to principles is one thing and availability of resources quite another. “We call upon those with resources to help us live up to our commitments.”

Currently, Ethiopia plays host to a total of close to 148,000 refugees mainly from Somalia, Eritrea and Sudan.

Mr. Moses Okello, UNHCR country representative and Ato Ayalew Awoke, ARRA deputy director paid a visit in mid-december 2009 to the Somali refugees in sheder, kebribeyah and Aw-Barre in eastern Ethiopia.