Shire Operation: Due to the increasing influx of refugees, UNHCR and ARRA, opened and established a fourth camp (Hitsats). On average, new arrivals are estimated at about 1500 individuals every month. Key achievements in 2013 include:
- Construction of permanent and user friendly shelters in Mai-Aini, Adi-Harush and Hitsats
- Participation in vocational training activities for some 600 refugees thanks to several NGO partners
- Provision of 20 litres of water per person per day to refugees in Shimelba and Mai-Aini
- Provision of scholarship to various universities in Ethiopia to over 1100 refugee students
- Provision of psychosocial services to refugees in Adi-Harush and Mai-Aini.
- Construction of three boreholes in Adi-Harush and four in Hitsats
- In addition, over 4900 refugee were issued an ID in Shimelba camp in 2013
- More than 1300 unaccompanied or separated children (UASC) have been living in alternative care arrangements (foster care, group care, kinship, etc) in Mai-Aini, Adi-Harush and Shimelba.
- Over 1000 resettlement and registration forms (RRFs) have been submitted to different countries.
- UNHCR and ARRA provided core relief items (CRIs) to vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers
- Coordination among stakeholders both at camp and Shire level has been strengthened.
Afar Operation: As of late February, the number of refugees and asylum seekers reached over 24,850. The number of newly arriving refugees has shown a marked increase from 130 to 425 per month. At this rate, the number of refugees by the end of December 2015 will reach 37,000 individuals. Before UNHCR established two camps in 2007 in Berhale and Aysaita, the refugee and asylum seeker population was living entirely within the host community in the Afar region. After the camps were established, portion of the refugees were relocated to two camps namely Barahle and Aysaita. UNHCR in collaboration with the Ethiopian government now provides basic services in the two camps. Currently 14000 Eritrean Afar who are residing in the camps are getting services such as access to potable water supply, primary health, reproductive health, domestic items, sanitary materials, sanitary facilities and primary and secondary education. In addition, programmes addressing protection concerns of refugees such as sexual and gender based violence (SGBV), child protection and access to legal remedies have also been put in place to strengthen safety and security of refugees in the camps. UNHCR is also actively pursuing resettlement as a durable solution for refugees exposed to various risks. Both camps are currently in an early stage of camp development, so service provision will continue to expand over the coming year.