United Nations in Ethiopia

The Sustainable Development Goals are a call for action by all countries – poor, rich and middle-income – to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. They recognize that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and address a range of social needs including education, health, social protection, and job opportunities, while tackling climate change and environmental protection. These are the goals the UN is working on in Ethiopia:

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22 November 2022

UN staff join Great Ethiopian Run, advocate for the child’s right to education

More than 500 UN staff joined the Great Ethiopian Run (GER) on Sunday 20 November in support of the ‘running for cause’ campaign that aims at assisting different local organizations selected by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. “Running for a Cause” is the Great Ethiopian Run’s annual fundraising campaign to support local organizations. This year three local NGOs working to protect vulnerable children and promote health and education were identified to receive the funding raised from the race. Ethiopia’s President Sahlework Zewdie, Addis Ababa Mayor Adanech Abebie, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Dr. Catherine Sozi and UN Heads of Agencies including WFP, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNESCO, WHO and UNICEF as well as UN staff members took part in the run that also advocated for every child’s right to an education. UNICEF partnered with the GER to get across the messages on the right of children to have access to quality education. Currently, Ethiopia hosts the largest number of out-of-school children in East and Southern Africa. According to the Ministry of Education /UNICEF joint study on the Situations of Out-of-school Children, about 6 million children in pre-primary, 4.5 million children in primary, and 2.7 million children in lower secondary schools were out of school as of December 2020. This year, the Great Ethiopian run also coincides with World Children’s Day, a global day of action for children, by children, marking the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child – the global document that guarantees a child’s right to an education, as well as many other important rights. Dr. Sozi also launched the GER’s mobility race organized for people with disabilities. Building on the principle of “leaving no one behind”, the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development emphasizes a holistic approach to achieving sustainable development for all. In 2018, the United Nations launched a first-ever UN flagship report on disability and the Sustainable Development Goals, the Disability and Development Report on the “Realization of the Sustainable Development Goals by, for and with persons with disabilities”. The report demonstrates that persons with disabilities are at a disadvantage regarding most Sustainable Development Goals. Concrete action is needed to include the world’s one billion persons with disabilities – 15% of the world population – as both agents and beneficiaries of development. Against the backdrop of all available evidence, the report identifies good practices and recommends urgent actions to be taken for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by, for and with persons with disabilities by 2030. In December 2019, Member States took note with appreciation of the report through two resolutions adopted in the General Assembly. The first resolution titled “Promoting social integration through social inclusion” (A/C.3/74/L.17/Rev.1) and the second titled “Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Optional Protocol thereto: accessibility” (A/C.3/74/L.32/Rev.1) note the importance of this report for the continuing work to advance the rights of persons with disabilities in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Children of the UN family also joined the Children’s Race held on Saturday 19 November under the theme “Play Matters” to promote learning and wellbeing outcomes through playing. The PlayMatters project aims to improve holistic learning and wellbeing outcome for 800,000+ refugee and host community preprimary and primary school children aged 3-12+ in Uganda, Ethiopia and Tanzania using learning through play methodologies. Photos: UN Ethiopia Family in the 2022 Great Ethiopian Run Road Race and Children's Races

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26 October 2022

The United Nations Day commemorated in Ethiopia

The UN family, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, the African Union, the diplomatic corps and young people in Ethiopia celebrated the United Nations Day. UN Day marks the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter. Ethiopia is one of the founding members of the United Nations. Delivering the UN Secretary-General’s message on the UN Day, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Ethiopia, Dr. Catherine Sozi said, “The United Nations is the product of hope. The hope — and resolve — following the Second World War to move beyond global conflict to global cooperation.” “Today, our organization is being tested like never before. But the United Nations was made for moments like this. Now, more than ever, we need to bring to life the values and principles of the UN Charter in every corner of the world,” Dr. Sozi said. "As we mark UN Day, let us renew our hope and conviction in what humanity can achieve when we work as one, in global solidarity.” In his remarks delivered to the UN Day celebration on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Mr. Ayele Lire, Director General of International Organizations Affairs at MFA, said, “Ethiopia, as a founding member of the United Nations, remains committed to the guiding principles of the United Nations Charter and is proud of its significant contributions to world peace by participating in several peacekeeping missions.” “So far, the United Nations has not only managed to avert another catastrophic world war; it has also rendered and continues to render remarkable services to humanity,” said Mr. Ayele. “The UN has also contributed to world peace by resolving the most intractable conflicts around the world; its humanitarian workers have delivered lifesaving assistance to vulnerable people in dangerous conflict zones and its health workers deployed to the frontlines fighting pandemics." Ambassador Fathallah Sijilmassi, Director General of the African Union Commission, also made a statement to the event on behalf of the African Union. The UN Day celebration also saw young people who performed a song on peace and delivered messages on the importance of peace to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. UN Secretary-General Message on UN Day delivered by Dr. Catherine Sozi, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Photos from UN Day celebration in Ethiopia

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18 October 2022

UN Women, partners rehabilitating survivors of conflict-related sexual violence

She was going back home from the market when she was attacked and raped. “I told no one because they threatened me. I had no sexual experience before, so I thought nothing would happen,” she said. She kept working until it was obvious that she gained a lot of weight and kept having physical changes. Her employers took her to the hospital, she talked about the sexual violence she endured for the first time. She was brought to a safe house for survivors of sexual violence opened by the Association for Women’s Sanctuary and Development (AWSAD) with support from UN Women Ethiopia. The safe house was established to rehabilitate and reintegrate women and girl survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) and sexual gender-based violence (SGBV) because of the Northern Ethiopia conflict. It was set up to support survivors through the provision of comprehensive services, including accommodation, meals, medical support, counselling, and livelihoods. After she found out about her pregnancy, what she asked for was to get an abortion. Unfortunately, it was too late for that. It was 20 days since she gave birth when we met her at the safe house in August 2022. She is staying at the shelter and not yet decided what to do next. Eyerusalem Amsal, a counseling psychologist at the safe house said making survivors speak about the sexual assault is the difficult part at first. They have individual and group therapy sessions for survivors as well as art and music therapy to make them forget about the trauma they have been through and see there is hope. Having others with similar experience and socializing with them also helped them open-up. “I know I am doing important work helping these women be themselves again. I feel grateful I got to help and felt I belong here” said Eyerusalem on doing a challenging yet important job. Yetimwork Ayalew, Coordinator of the Safe House in Woldia said the shelter for survivors was opened on January 27th, 2022, just after the Tigrayan forces left the area and in response to the urgent need for support for survivors of CRSV/GBV as a result of the conflict in the area. She said, “many survivors needing support started coming to us all the way from Dessie, another city in South Wollo, where we had another safe house but was in full capacity”. Yetimwork mentioned that 416 survivors have been rehabilitated by the services at the safe house. Unlike other shelters run by AWSAD with support from UN Women Ethiopia, there is no legal redress or bringing the perpetrators to justice which can also bring closure to the survivors. A joint assessment by Ethiopian Human Rights Council and Office of the High Commission for Human Rights disclosed that hundreds of women were sexually violated by all actors involved in the conflict in Northern Ethiopia. This project, which is part of the CERF global grant, aims to ensure that women and girls who have experienced/are experiencing GBV or are at risk of GBV benefit from provision of and access to quality services and are empowered to increasingly engage in decision-making and leadership in GBV response, mitigation, and prevention. UN Women is working to contribute to protection and empowerment of crisis-affected women and girls in Amhara, Afar, and Tigray regions of Ethiopia and scaling up partnerships with local women-led organisations (WLOs) / women rights organisations (WROs). *Names changed

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28 September 2022

International Day of Peace commemorated in Ethiopia

The event brought together Heads of UN agencies in Ethiopia, representatives of civil society organizations, youth and women networks and other stakeholders to discuss a range of issues on promoting the culture of peace. In her remarks at the commemoration of the International Day of Peace under the theme “Promoting the Culture of Peace”, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Ethiopia, Dr. Catherine Sozi, said, “Today, it is more important than ever to work for a culture of peace A culture of peace centred on human rights, justice and tolerance..” “We must tackle the deep-rooted inequalities that work against dignity and opportunity for all. We need to invest in social cohesion, recognizing that diversity is a richness, not a threat,” said Dr. Sozi. Speaking at event, Dr. Rita Bissaoonauth, Director UNESCO Addis Ababa Liaison Office to AU and UNECA and Representative to Ethiopia, underlined that peace should never be taken for granted. As we commemorate today, the International Day of Peace, we must note that a culture of peace is both a process and a product. It is a process of confidence-building and co-operation between peoples. “It is an on-going process, a long-term goal which requires constant engineering, vigilance and active participation by all individuals. It is a choice to be made on each situation, an everyday life decision,” said Ms. Bissaoonauth. “To be sustainable, peace must start with the dignity of every man and woman. It must be nurtured through the enjoyment of their rights and the fulfilment of their aspirations.” Mahder Dadi, program Director at Timran, a non-governmental organization that works to advance Ethiopian women's political and public leadership, noted the need ensure women’s participation at all levels of a peace process such as negotiators, peacekeepers, observers and signatories. “When women present in peace negotiations, they challenge norms and bring forth ideas and policy suggestions that would otherwise be ignored or forgotten,” Ms. Mahder said. Professor Tirussew Teferra of the Addis Abba University highlighted Ethiopia’s policy initiatives related to peace education. Following the recommendation of the Ethiopian Education and Training Roadmap, the Ethiopian Government has incorporated a curriculum framework for moral and citizenship education for primary education, Prof. Tirussew said. The event held at the UN Economic Commission for Africa, Addis Ababa, also saw a panel discussion on a range of issues. The topics at the panel discussion included: the role of education in promoting the culture of peace: opportunities and policy-level initiatives; countering hate speech and disinformation in the era of the digital media: opportunities and challenges; and role of women and youth in promoting the culture of peace in Ethiopia.

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19 October 2022

Stakeholders in Ethiopia Commit to Greater Collaboration on Digital Skill and Literacy Initiatives

Participants of a digital skill and literacy event organized by the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and the Ministry of Innovation and Technology (MInT) expressed their commitment to greater collaboration in ensuring that Ethiopian citizens can fully participate and benefit from the life-changing impact of digitization. Some of which include ease of access to essential healthcare, increased productivity for smallholder farmers, increased employability among the youth and equal and significant participation of women in the digital economy. They also agreed that fair access and equal participation in building citizens' digital skills are critical to boosting Ethiopia's digital economy. Limited internet access and electricity coverage in rural communities, affordability of electronic devices, inadequate training opportunities and low educational levels, particularly among women and youth, are among the major barriers to the country's digital skills drive. In its Digital Ethiopia 2025 Strategy, the government highlights that digital upskilling is crucial to its digital transformation agenda. As part of the strategy, MInT developed the Digital Ethiopia Learning platform, which UNCDF is supporting to enhance digital learning in the country. MiNT, in collaboration with UNCDF, has also rolled out the IBM DNA Platform, which provides free standardized digital training. Speaking at the stakeholders' event on how the country can address the barriers to its digital drive, H. E. Huria Ali, State Minister at MInT, emphasized that "building digital literacy for citizens is the responsibility of all stakeholders and requires better cooperation and coordination. We must all actively participate, explore the gaps and strengths of our sector, think about our role in the process of building digital literacy, raise awareness about digital literacy in general, get to know each other better and strengthen our cooperation." Digital skills and literacy are key factors in expanding digital financial solutions, for example, and impact the future of work. The European Union (EU) captures these two factors in its EU Digital Transformation Pillars and works actively with UNCDF to help strengthen the country's digital capacities. Worknesh Mekonnen Gonet, Director, and Representative to the African Union (AU) - United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) Ethiopia, who represented the UN Resident Coordinator at the event, reminded stakeholders of the transformative effects of literacy on societies and countries. "Literacy propels individuals along a journey of financial health, making them increasingly able to manage their situation better, access necessary services, be resilient in unexpected situations, and plan their future. Developing literacy – both financial and digital – not only enables people to access and use services, but it can also help them to make decisions because they understand and trust the systems that they are using." As per the 2030 Agenda, inclusion is at the center of achieving sustainable development and ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital era. Therefore, stakeholders from digital training institutes, the private ICT industry, institutions of higher learning, the digital financial services sector, development organizations and government agencies agreed to work together to ensure everyone is included. UNCDF's partnership with MInT and other stakeholders in Ethiopia aims to improve lives, particularly that of the marginalized. And as part of UNCDF, EU and OACP's broader "Digital Financial Services for Resilience (DFS4Res) initiative, digital training will be delivered to build citizens' capability and capacity to use digital services and digital financial services in particular.

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Press Release

19 August 2022

Message from UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Ethiopia on World Humanitarian Day

We mark World Humanitarian Day every year on 19 August to express solidarity with the millions of people affected by humanitarian crises around the world and pay tribute to the humanitarian workers who help them. Today is a day we reflect on our accomplishments and commit to redouble our efforts to respond and reach the millions in need. 2022 continues to be a challenging year with multiple and simultaneous crises demanding our attention. Conflict and violence in several pockets of the country, drought in eastern and southern Ethiopia and floods in parts of the country are causing loss, displacement and suffering to millions of Ethiopians. Today, Ethiopia hosts one of the largest number of people requiring humanitarian assistance. In the face of this enormous challenge, we remain committed to reaching all people in need and to carry our work upholding the principles we so cherish, the principle of impartiality, the principle of neutrality and the principle of operational independence. At the center of it all are aid workers and front-line responders who selflessly put their lives at risk and sacrifice their comfort and their time with family to help those in need. Thank you for your passion, your selflessness and your sacrifice! I would also like to thank our government and donor partners for their generous support to the people in need in Ethiopia given the ever-limited resources available. I count on your continued support to ensure that the people in need in Ethiopia receive the critical assistance they require, the dignity they deserve and the resilience to withstand future shocks. This year’s World Humanitarian Day theme is: It Takes a Village. Let us be that village to bring the assistance and hope to the millions of people in need in the country. Together, we can. Dr. Catherine Sozi, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Ethiopia

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Press Release

08 June 2022

United Nations Report launched in Ethiopia, urges cooperation between Volunteers and States in Africa

Despite the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic, interest in volunteering has not waned in Africa and across the world. Volunteering in communities has endured despite limited mobility and resources. While Covid-19 restrictions have prevented many people from volunteering in person, many have switched to volunteering online. The fourth State of the World’s Volunteerism Report (SWVR 2022) ‘Building Equal and Inclusive Societies’ was launched today in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia by H.E Dr. Ergoge Tesfaye, Minister, Ministry of Women and Social Affairs for Ethiopia at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. The launch was also attended by His Excellency Ambassador Mohamed Lamine Thiaw, Permanent Representative of Senegal to Ethiopia and the African Union, His Excellency Ambassador Hans Lundquist, Ambassador of Sweden to Ethiopia, Mr. Cleophas Torori, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative among other representatives from UN Member States, United Nations (UN) entities, the African Union Commission (AUC), diplomatic community, volunteer community and the private sector. The SWVR 2022 Report findings provide an interesting and timely opportunity to analyze the strategic role of volunteering for peace and development in the African continent. The SWVR 2022 Africa regional launch provided key stakeholders with an opportunity to shine the spotlight on transformative volunteering models that have emerged across different countries in Africa around service delivery, policymaking and participation, governance, decision-making and social innovation. The launch took the global discussions on the Report to the regional level to initiate and generate momentum for a sustained regional conversation on SWVR 2022 findings and raise awareness among stakeholders, policymakers, and institutions in Africa. Speaking during the launch, H.E Ergoge Tesfaye noted that through volunteerism, more people participate in development at all levels of society empowering them to fully engage in their development priorities. “Volunteering represents essential capacities for communities and nations to pursue social, economic and environmental goals,” - H.E Ergoge Tesfaye, Minister, Ministry of Women and Social Affairs of Ethiopia said while launching the Report. The Report draws on case study research in Africa, Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Among the five regions, Africa demonstrated the highest volunteer rates – the share of the total working-age population (15 years and over) who volunteer. While other regions display monthly volunteer rates of 9 to 10.6 percent, Africa far exceeds this with monthly volunteer rates of 17.5 percent. Additionally, two African countries - Senegal and Kenya – were selected for a 2021 global multi-country survey by UNV and Gallup that informed the SWVR 2022 findings on the contribution of volunteers to COVID-19 response in the global south. The survey found relatively high levels of volunteer participation in COVID-19 response in Senegal and Kenya, with volunteer action rates of 98% and 92% respectively –the highest among eight other countries that participated in the survey. Speaking during the launch of the Report, Mr. Cleophas Torori, Deputy Resident Representative for UNDP Ethiopia noted that volunteerism provides an important opportunity for everybody, including marginalized groups, to have their voices heard and their actions recognized. “Engaging and integrating volunteers will help us move forward together, allowing us to mitigate future challenges and sustain our resilience as a human collective,” he said. “The findings of the report provide critical information for policy makers to ensure we ‘leave no one behind’ in our quest for development, particularly following the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the inequalities in the region and the world,” said Ms. Lucy Ndungu, Regional Manager for UNV East and Southern Africa Regional Office also said during the launch event. The SWVR 2022 comes at a crucial moment as countries start to build forward from the pandemic and institutions need to engage volunteers as key partners. “To build forward better, it will be very important for volunteers to be regarded as essential partners in development,” said Mr. Benjamin Mirichi, an International UN Volunteer from Kenya serving with UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The Report identifies three models to highlight volunteer-state relationships – the deliberative governance, the co-production of services and the social innovation – and offers policy recommendations. Decision makers are encouraged to: Promote volunteering beyond service delivery to include social innovation and inclusiveness. Strengthen public social recognition of volunteers especially as they are not financially rewarded. Create space where both volunteers and state authorities can share their experiences and establish common ground. Invest in measurement and data on volunteers and support research on volunteerism. As part of the SWVR preparation, UNV and Gallup conducted research to study the patterns of volunteerism during COVID-19. The multi-country primary data collection was conducted in March-April 2021, including a survey of eight thousand people in eight countries – Bolivia, India, Kenya, Lebanon, Senegal, Thailand, Turkey and Uzbekistan. -------------------------------------------------- Notes to Editors: For more information and to schedule interviews please contact: Kevin Ochieng kevin.ochieng@unv.org Getachew Dibaba Ayanee getachew.dibaba@un.org For the full Report and other resources go to: Full Report: https://swvr2022.unv.org/ SWVR Key Messages and Policy Recommendations: https://swvr2022.unv.org/key-messages-and-policy-recommendations/ SWVR Trello Board: https://trello.com/b/MXkphT2K/state-of-the-worlds-volunteerism-report-2022 About the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme: The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide. Volunteerism is a powerful means of engaging people in tacking development challenges, and it can transform the pace and nature of development. UNV is administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

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Press Release

26 May 2022

UN Headquarters Observes International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers on 26 May

UN Headquarters will observe the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers on Thursday, 26 May 2022. Secretary-General António Guterres will lay a wreath to honour the nearly 4,200 UN peacekeepers who have lost their lives since 1948 and will preside over a ceremony at which the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal will be awarded posthumously to 117 military, police, and civilian peacekeepers, who lost their life serving under the UN flag last year. Among the peacekeepers to be honooured posthumously are three Ethiopian peacekeepers who served with United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA): Cpl Solomon Ayalew Gared, Sgt Abebe Tesfaye Masiresha, and Sgt Tekelargay Tinikshu Haile. During a special ceremony, the Secretary-General will award the “Captain Mbaye Diagne Medal for Exceptional Courage” posthumously to Captain Abdelrazakh Hamit Bahar of Chad, who served with the United Nations Integrated Multidimensional Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). The medal is named for a Senegalese peacekeeper who was killed in Rwanda in 1994 after saving countless civilian lives. This is the second time the medal has been awarded since the inaugural medal was presented to Captain Diagne's family in his honour in 2016. The Secretary-General will also award the ‘2021 Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award’ to Major Winnet Zharare, a Zimbabwean military observer, who served with the UN Mission in South Sudan. Created in 2016, the Award “recognises the dedication and effort of an individual peacekeeper in promoting the principles of UN Security Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security.” In his message, the Secretary-General said: “Today, we honour the more than one million women and men who have served as UN peacekeepers since 1948. We pay tribute to the nearly 4,200 heroes and heroines who sacrificed their lives in the cause of peace. And we are reminded an age-old truth: peace can never be taken for granted. Peace is the prize. We are deeply grateful to the 87,000 civilian, police and military personnel now serving under the UN flag who are helping to realize the prize of peace worldwide.”
The theme for this year’s observance is “People. Peace. Progress. The Power of Partnerships.” According to the Secretary-General, “Around the globe, UN peacekeepers work with Member States, civil society, humanitarians, the media, the communities they serve and many others, to foster peace, protect civilians, promote human rights and the rule of law and improve the lives of millions of people.”
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, said: “Every day, UN peacekeepers work to protect vulnerable people in the world’s most fragile political and security situations. The dangers they face are greater than ever, with increasing global tensions, ever-more complex threats from terrorist attacks to organized crime and the use of Improvised Explosive Devices as well as a surge in mis and disinformation targeting our missions and the communities we serve. Despite these challenges, peacekeepers persevere alongside our many partners in the collective pursuit of peace. Today, we thank them for their tremendous contribution and remember with great sorrow our colleagues who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving the cause of peace.” The International Day of UN Peacekeepers was established by the General Assembly in 2002, to pay tribute to all men and women serving in peacekeeping, and to honour the memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace. The General Assembly designated 29 May as the International Day of UN Peacekeepers in commemoration of the day in 1948 when the UN’s first peacekeeping mission, the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), began operations in Palestine. Since then, more than 1 million women and men have served in 72 UN peacekeeping operations.
Schedule of Events at Headquarters on 26 May 09:30 a.m.: The Secretary-General will lay a wreath in honour of fallen peacekeepers at the Peacekeepers Memorial Site on the North Lawn. (If inclement weather, the ceremony will be held near the Chagall window in the Visitors’ Lobby). Only UN Photo and UN TV will cover the ceremony. It will not be webcast live, but will be available on demand soon after the event: https://media.un.org/ 10:00 a.m.: The Dag Hammarskjöld Medal, Military Gender Advocate of the Year, and Captain Mbaye Diagne Medal for Exceptional Courage ceremonies will be held in the Trusteeship Council and shown live on UN Webcast: https://media.un.org/ 12:00 p.m.: Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix will be the guest at the noon briefing. It will be webcast live at https://media.un.org/ # # # # # Media Contacts: Douglas Coffman, Department of Global Communications -+1 (917) 361-9923, e-mail: coffmand@un.org; or Hector Calderon, Department of Peace Operations +1 (917) 226 5219 e-mail: hector.calderon@un.org For more information, please visit the Peacekeepers Day websites here: https://www.un.org/en/observances/peacekeepers-day; or https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/international-day-of-peacekeepers-2022

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Press Release

12 April 2022

UNHCR seeks US$205 million to deliver life-saving assistance to over 1.6 million people affected by the northern Ethiopia conflict

Sixteen months of conflict in northern Ethiopia has created a humanitarian crisis. Civilians, including refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs) have been displaced, amid widespread reports of gender-based violence, human rights abuses, loss of shelter and access to basic services, and critical levels of food insecurity. More than 2 million Ethiopians have fled in search of safety within the country, and almost 60,000 across the border into Sudan. Several camps and settlements hosting Eritrean refugees have been attacked or destroyed, further displacing tens of thousands within Ethiopia. Funds raised will help us to provide essential protection and humanitarian assistance to those impacted by the violence. At least 60,000 IDP households will be assisted with shelter and emergency relief items. We will establish additional protection desks –adding to the more than 60 already set up – to identify people with specific needs and to refer survivors of gender-based violence to services, and we will support the reintegration of 75,000 IDP families, who wish to return to their homes. We welcome the quick response of the Ethiopian government to identify new sites to settle the displaced refugees, which requires resources. UNHCR will support the government’s Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS) and partners to complete the Alemwach site, in the Amhara region, so that Eritrean refugees can be relocated as soon as it is possible to do so, and to ensure essential services. A new temporary site for Eritrean refugees caught up in the fighting in Afar region is similarly in need of urgent investment. Together with RRS and partners, we are aiming to get 20,000 refugee children back into school. In eastern Sudan, UNHCR will provide critical protection and assistance to Ethiopian refugees, including by building shelters that are more durable, and strengthening health care and education. Activities to prevent and respond to gender-based violence and to provide psychosocial and mental health support will be scaled up. UNHCR will also boost preparedness for flooding and extreme weather ahead of the upcoming rainy season. Opportunities to earn an income will be enhanced both for refugees and the communities that host them. Of the US$205 million, US$117 million will support the needs of Ethiopian IDPs and Eritrean refugees in the Afar, Amhara, and Tigray regions of Ethiopia, while US$72 million will help us support Ethiopian refugees in Sudan. Some US$16 million will be used for preparedness as part of contingency measures for any potential influx into neighbouring countries (Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan). While UNHCR continues to reinforce its protection and humanitarian assistance, we reiterate our call to all parties of the conflict to protect civilians in line with their obligations under international humanitarian law and to provide safe and unhindered access to all those in need.

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