In close consultation with the refugees, local authorities and humanitarian actors, UNHCR Gambella has elaborated a strategy which, starting from 2016 would have shifted the focus from emergency response to stabilisation of the existing six (6) camps in the region; at the same time special attention will be given to the response to new arrivals, that would be hosted in the new Nguenyyiel camp and a potential new camp that would be opened if the arrival rate exceeds the capacity of the Nguenyyiel camp. In the established camps, as well as in the new camps, enhanced protection coordination and monitoring mechanisms will be reinforced.
Commencing in 2016, UNHCR will continue to enhance efforts to support the government of Ethiopia through their national agency for refugees (ARRA) to provide primary health care to refugees in the region including HIV and reproductive health.
Another main strategic and protection direction that will be pursed in 2017 is registration. All Level 2 registered households were issued documentation, i.e. proof of registration. Modification of registration data such as inclusion of new born babies is being conducted at camp level in collaboration with ARRA. Linkages between registration data and service delivery is further enhanced by the introduction of the bio-metrics project in 2016, which will ensure the monthly continuous registration of refugees.
With regard to SGBV, the roll-out of standard operating procedures and unified referral pathways were significant developments in 2016 to make the services for SGBV survivors more approachable. UNHCR and partners will capitalize on lessons learnt and best practices in this regard to mainstream awareness for SGBV prevention into service deliveries/activities for refugees. Trainings and awareness-raising campaigns will continue to be organized for refugees and humanitarian actors on access to available services and appropriate referral mechanisms. Efforts will be made to integrate community based complaint mechanisms in all programmes to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation and abuse, while adopting a harmonised inter-agency approach.
In order to augment child protection (with very high numbers of unaccompanied and separated children among the refugee population), monitoring of formalised and/or spontaneous care arrangements will be a focus of UNHCR’s 2017 strategy in Gambella. This puts specific attention on supporting referral pathways in an appropriate response and delivery of child protection services.
In the education sphere, coherent partnerships among UNHCR, partners and ARRA have been leveraged to increase refugee access to quality education. The school enrolment rates among refugee children improved in the previous year and this will be maintained in 2017. However, attendance rates remain problematic, particularly among girl students and this situation is not expected to change drastically in the coming years. Introduction of the Education Information Management System (EMIS) will improve close monitoring of the education in camps by recording trends of challenges that will pave the way for addressing the issue of poor attendance. Also access to the secondary education continued to be a main challenge in refugee education. In order to enhance the quality of education, transition from temporary structure to permanent structure is being carried out in many camps.