East African displacement crisis

Latest figures show Ethiopia surpassing both Syria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo

THE INTERNAL Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) said that East Africa in general and Ethiopia in particular were worst hit by internal displacement crises globally during the first half of this year.

According to the IDMC’S latest figures, 1.4 million new internal displacements have been recorded in Ethiopia, surpassing both Syria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, while other eastern African countries that are Somalia and South Sudan are also among the 10 worst-affected countries for new displacement linked to conflict and violence.

“East Africa accounts for five of the most significant disaster events between January and June, with flooding in Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia and Uganda, and drought in Somalia displacing more than a million people in total,” the IDMC said.

In the Horn of Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia experienced nearly a million new displacements owing to unprecedented flooding in April and May after an extended period of drought in the region exacerbated by the Indian El Niño weather phenomenon, according to the IDMC.

The major internal displacement crisis Ethiopia encountered during the first half of the year is mainly attributed to the fighting between communities along the border of Ethiopia’s Gedeo Zone in the Southern region and West Guji Zone in Ethiopia’s largest Oromia region.

According to the UN migration agency, IOM, since April some 970000 people have fled their homes due to fighting between the two communities.

Following the escalation of conflicts and the eventual displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, various international aid organisations have been calling for concerted efforts to provide basic humanitarian support to those affected.

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR has called for more humanitarian support for the nearly a million people displaced by recent violence in south-western Ethiopia.

“Displaced people, host communities and returnees are in dire need of assistance for basic necessities like food, water, blankets and cooking supplies. Shelter materials, especially plastic sheeting, are urgently needed before the heavy seasonal rains,” the UN refugee agency said.

“We and our partners urgently need resources to continue providing life-saving assistance. For the coming 12 months, we need $21.5 million for the IDP response,” it added.

Amid UNHCR’S call for urgent support, the Ethiopian government has stressed that almost all of the internally displaced people in south-western Ethiopia will return home as soon as the government starts rehabilitation efforts.

More than 359000 of the displaced have already returned to their respective localities as inter-communal clashes are contained and security situations improved, Ethiopia’s state press agency quoted regional officials as saying. Local government officials affirmed that communities involved in the conflict have settled the conflict through traditional mechanisms.