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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29 December 2022

OHCHR, EHRC release Joint Advisory Note on development of Transitional Justice Policy Framework for Ethiopia

OHCHR, EHRC released joint advisory note and key findings stemming from community consultations on transitional justice to inform the development of a Transitional Justice Policy Framework for Ethiopia. Key preliminary findings of the community consultations are organized under different thematic areas, including peace and security; reparations; truth, acknowledgment, and apology; accountability; guarantees of non-recurrence; meaningful participation; assessment, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of transitional justice. According to the joint advisory note, from July to December 2022, EHRC and OHCHR conducted thirteen field consultations to gather the views of victims of human rights violations and communities affected by conflict, including on traditional and religious processes which promote accountability, truth-seeking, reconciliation and reparations - in an effort to document and amplify their voices and concerns for the relevant authorities. With such objective, the joint team has so far met communities in Afar, Amhara, Harari, Oromia and Somali regions, and Dire Dawa city administration. The note also highlights two consultations planned in August 2022 in the Tigray region were postponed due to the resurgence of fighting, although several IDPs from Tigray participated in the consultations held in the Amhara and Afar regions. While the community consultations are ongoing and will cover all regions of Ethiopia and the Addis Ababa city administration, EHRC and OHCHR consider it important to highlight the preliminary findings of the field consultations conducted so far from a total of 717 individuals including 282 women who constitute victims and families of victims, IDPs, religious and traditional leaders, and grassroot civil society organisations working on human rights and peacebuilding issues. The findings represent the views on TJ related issues during focus group discussions, reflections in plenary and individual interviews. These consultations are part of OHCHR and EHRC’s broader initiative to seek the views of the public in all regions of Ethiopia and complement TJ public initiatives by other institutions. OHCHR and EHRC believe that this approach, focused on the meaningful participation and experiences of rights-holders, particularly directly affected populations should inform ongoing discussions on the development of a legitimate, holistic, genuine, and inclusive TJ policy. It would also promote transformative reforms that support accountability, truth-seeking, reparations,institutional reform, reconciliation, and foster social cohesion in Ethiopia. EHRC/OHCHR’s Joint Advisory Note and Key Findings

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29 December 2022

UN, partners undertake 16 Days of Activism Campaign

UN Women Ethiopia has partnered with the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs, UN Agencies, CSOs and others for a series of successful advocacy events commemorating 16 Days of Activism Campaign with a theme “UNITE! Activism to end violence against women and girls” The events include a high-level panel discussion on addressing the needs and priorities of “Women with Disabilities in Ethiopia”, a panel discussion with students on online violence against women and girls, a photo exhibition “Acknowledging the Commitment of Faith Based Organizations in fighting GBV “, and a high-level panel discussion “Transitional Justice and Effective Remedy for Conflict-Related GBV.” The launch of the 16 days of Activism Campaign Against Gender Based Violence took place on November 25, 2022 in Hawassa, Sidama Region, in the presence of H.E. Sahlework Zewdie President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Dr. Ergogie Tesfaye, Minister of Women and Social Affairs, Ms. Nassise Chali, Minister of Tourism, Mr. Schadrack Dusabe, UN Women Ethiopia Head of Office a.i., Ms. Christina Muankuzi Kwaye Deputy Representative a.i. of UNFPA Ethiopia and heads of regional offices among others. Opening the launch event, H.E. Sahlework Zewdie, FDRE president said, “Violence against women and girls is multifaceted. It goes beyond sexual violence and causes everlasting harm. It includes sexual harassment, degrading women and girls that subject them to live in fear. CSOs such as Association of Women in Sanctuary and Development and the Ethiopian Network of Women Shelters are doing a lot in fighting against GBV and rehabilitating survivors. We need to have more safe houses for survivors to take shelter and get rehabilitated. It is vital for all stakeholders to work together to utilize limited resources we have.” Mr. Schadrack Dusabe, UN Women Ethiopia, Head of Office a.i. on his part said, “We can all be activists for this noble cause: To stop impunity, to end all forms of Violence Against Women and Girls. Let this activism continue not only for 16 days but throughout the year.” The same day UN Women Ethiopia in partnership with Ethiopian Women with Disability National Association (EWDNA), Network of Ethiopian Women Association(NEWA) and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung organized a high-level panel discussion on ‘addressing the needs and priorities of women with disabilities in Ethiopia’, attended by officials including H.E Mrs. Kimia Jundi, Women Caucus Chair at the House of Peoples Representative (HoPR), Deputy Commissioner Rakeb Melese of the Ethiopia Human Rights Commission and representatives of various government institutions, development partners and civil society organizations. Panel with students Another event took place on 29th November was a panel discussion targeting high school students on identifying the challenges and the solutions for tackling online violence against women and girls. The panel included representatives from the Justice sector, school administration, students and a female social media influencer. UN Women Ethiopia has partnered with the Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) and Tamira for Social Development (TSD) for the event. A photo exhibition "Acknowledging the Commitment of Faith Based Organizations in fighting GBV " that took place on 2nd December 2022 was organized by Royal Norwegian Embassy, Norwegian Church Aid, UN WOMEN and UNFPA and opened in the presence of His Grace Abuna Samuel, Archobishop of EOTC, Pastor Tsadiqu Abdo, Evangelical Church President, Dr Catherine Sozi, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Ethiopia. The exhibition that aims to give a glimpse into the work of faith-based organizations to end HTPs and GBV, was hosted by H.E Stian Christensen Ambassador of Norway to Ethiopia. Transitional Justice and Effective Remedy for Conflict-Related GBV UN Women Ethiopia and Network of Ethiopian Women Associations in collaboration with Ethiopian Human Rights Commission also organized a high-level panel discussion on Transitional Justice and Effective Remedy for Conflict-Related GBV: Reflections on the Work of the Inter-Ministerial Taskforce to Oversee Human Rights Violations in the Northern Ethiopia Conflict.

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29 December 2022

UN supporting development of National Policy and Strategy on GBV Prevention and Response in Ethiopia

UN Women Ethiopia in partnership with the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs (MoWSA) and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) organized a high-level capacity building workshop for the standing committees of the House of Peoples’ Representatives (Parliament) on both the draft national policy and strategy on Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC). Members of the committees, including Women and Children/Social Affairs Standing Committee and Legal and Justice Standing Committee and Women Caucus Executive Committee of the House took part in the workshop held from 24-25 September 2022. The aim of the workshop was to advocate for the adoption and effective implementation of the policy/strategy and strengthen accountability on the prevention and response of VAWC and sensitize members of the parliament on the draft policy and national strategy on VAWC while strengthening accountability on the prevention and response of VAWC. According to the latest Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS 2016), at least one out of every three women in Ethiopia has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime, by an intimate partner, and nearly one-quarter (23 percent) of women have at some point in their lives experienced physical violence. Only 10 percent of the women have experienced sexual violence. The same study also shows high rates of under-reporting (66 percent) by women and girls who experienced violence. In response to the need for prevention and provision of coordinated assistance to women and children’s survivors of violence, a National Coordinating Body (NCB) comprised of members from government ministries, UN agencies and relevant civil society organizations was formed under the leadership of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). The formation of this NCB with components of both prevention and response to violence against women and girls (VAWG) is instrumental to effectively prevent violence against women and girls and ensure provision of standard essential services across all sectors including justice, health care and social services. Under the leadership of MoJ and the NCB, a national five-year strategy (2021/22-2026) on prevention and response to violence against women and children (VAWC) has been developed with the support of UN Women and UNICEF. The overall goal of the strategy is to enable women and children enjoy their rights without fear of violence, strengthen reporting mechanisms and support services to survivors of VAWC. To address the multitude of challenges in preventing and responding to VAWG, the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs (MOWSA) in collaboration with UN Women and other stakeholders initiated and supported the development of a comprehensive national Policy on GBV prevention and response. The policy aims to protect vulnerable population and ensure the respect of their human rights. It will also serve as an overarching normative framework based on which various laws, strategies and guidelines could be derived from. During her opening remarks on the first day of the workshop, Ms. Kimya Jundi, Chair of Women’s Caucus, House of People’s Representatives noted that despite commendable efforts being made to address violence against women and girls in Ethiopia, there are still issues that contribute to increasing the vulnerability of women and girls to violence. When the response to violence against women and girls is undertaken in a coordinated manner, it contributes to building a society that is safe and protected from violence, she added. Ms. Alemitu Omud, State Minister, Ministry of Women and Social Affairs, opening the second day of the workshop, mentioned gaps in laws and regulations in addressing GBV that necessitate development of a policy. She also expressed her conviction that parliamentarians who are members of various standing committees will provide inputs to enrich the draft. UN Women Ethiopia will continue to work with the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs and other stakeholders on the adoption and implementation of the national GBV prevention and response policy and the five-year national Violence against Women and Children strategy.

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29 December 2022

World AIDS Day Commemorated

The United Nations entities in Ethiopia, including UNAIDS, WHO, UNFPA and UNHCC jointly commemorated the World AIDS Day (WAD) in the UNECA compound. This year’s WAD was commemorated under the theme “Equalize – Unite to end the inequalities holding back the end of AIDS”. The “Equalize” slogan is a call to action. It is a prompt for all of us to work for the proven practical actions needed to address inequalities and help end AIDS. Ahead of World AIDS Day on 29th November, UNAIDS launched the report Dangerous Inequalities. This report shows that unequal access to rights, services, science, and resources is holding back the end of AIDS. It is showing that with urgent action to tackle inequalities, we can get the AIDS response on track. The report highlights the impact on the AIDS response of gender inequalities, of inequalities faced by key populations, and of inequalities between children and adults. It also sets out how worsening financial constraints are making it more difficult to address those inequalities. The commemoration in the UN compound included HIV self-testing and counselling, education social activities and photo exhibition. HIV remains to be a major public health threat. According to UNAIDS, globally in 2021, 38.4 million were living with HIV, 1.5 million were newly infected with HIV and 650 thousand people died from AIDS-related illnesses. In Ethiopia in 2021, more than 600, 000 were living with HIV, of which, 360, 000 are women aged 15 and over, 210, 000 are men and 42, 000 children aged 0 to 14. Some 12,000 were newly infected with HIV, of which 6,100 (above 50%) are women aged 15 and over, 2,700 are men aged 15 and over, and 3,200 (above 30%) are children aged 0 to 14.

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29 December 2022

UN Secretary-General met with Prime Minister, AUC Chairperson and UN leadership in Ethiopia

On 1 December 2022, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres met with H.E. Mr. Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In his meeting with the Prime Minister, the Secretary-General reiterated his full support for the implementation of the permanent cessation of hostilities agreement (COHA) and the declaration on the modalities for its implementation, brokered by the African Union. The Secretary-General is fully committed to mobilizing the entire UN system to provide humanitarian support to all those who need it. The Prime Minister, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission and the Secretary-General also discussed national, regional and global issues of mutual interest. While in Addis Ababa, the UN Secretary-General also met with the UN Ethiopia leadership in Addis Ababa and discussed the UN’s work in support of Ethiopia’s development priorities and addressing its humanitarian challenges. Earlier in the day, the Secretary-General co-chaired the 6th African Union-UN annual conference together with the African Union Commission Chairperson (AUC). The Chairperson and the Secretary-General welcomed the continuing strong cooperation and collaboration between the two organizations. The Chairperson and the Secretary-General reviewed progress in implementing the “UN-AU Joint Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security” and the “AU-UN Framework for the Implementation of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.” In his remarks to the press, at the conclusion of the conference, the Secretary-General reiterated the importance of the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union. He also underlined the need to supercharge development and place Africa’s future at the heart of the solutions that our world needs. The Secretary-General called for new partnerships for prosperity and development on the continent, but also for more support to address the climate crisis.

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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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