Ethiopia

Year-end Overview

Operational environment

Displacement related to both climate and political/security reasons will continue to pose serious challenges for IDPs, refugees and host communities in Ethiopia, with an increase in internal displacements anticipated in 2021 triggered by civil unrest, elections or other crisis. Locations in Oromia and Tigray regions remain insecure, with access to services limited. Protection concerns include threats to physical safety, food insecurity, family separation, gender-based violence and violations against children.
 
The Government of Ethiopia pledged to advance refugee inclusion in the national socioeconomic development agenda. It has taken steps towards enhancing an enabling environment by promulgating a new progressive Refugee Proclamation which enables enhanced freedom of movement and economic inclusion for refugees.
 
UNHCR will seek private sector partnerships and continue to engage with the World Bank and other development actors. Advocacy will continue with the Government of Ethiopia, donors and UN agencies to ensure refugee needs are mainstreamed into the national development agenda, notably the Government’s Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP III) and frameworks such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework. In line with the commitments made by UNHCR and UNICEF under the transformative Blueprint partnership to secure refugee children a fair deal in line with the Global Compact of Refugees, the Office will focus on strengthening education, water sanitation and hygiene services and child protection activities.
 
COVID-19 will increase demands on health, water, sanitation and hygiene services, as well as risk communication and community engagement activities. In anticipation of this, UNHCR will continue to work with the Government’s refugee commission, the Agency for Refugee and Returnee Affairs (ARRA), partners and regional health authorities to reduce the spread of the disease among refugees and the host communities.
 
The conflict that broke out in the Tigray region in November 2020 has required a full reprioritization of the Eritrean refugee response to adjust to the fluid situation on the ground. UNHCR is also planning a major scale up of IDP protection coordination and multi-sectoral response activities in Tigray and neighboring regions in 2021 as access becomes possible. 

Key priorities 

• Protection: For children, enhancing best interest procedures, capacity development of national systems including birth registration, and strengthening mental health and psychosocial support will be prioritized. Gender-based violence case management, community-based complaint mechanisms and protection monitoring, and mainstreaming will also be strengthened.
• Health and water, sanitation and hygiene: The Office will focus on mitigating excess morbidity and mortality and controlling outbreaks of communicable diseases including COVID-19 by ensuring access to comprehensive primary health care services, referrals and strengthening disease surveillance and response. UNHCR will optimize water supply infrastructure, replace fuel pumping systems with solar powered models and connect water systems to the national grid. Strengthening water supply management schemes with partners and regional water bureaux and promoting sustainable sanitation solutions will also remain a priority.
• Shelter and core relief items: As part of UNHCR’s emergency preparedness and response plan, the Office will prioritize the pre-positioning and provision of core relief items and emergency shelter for new arrivals and climate and conflict-affected populations. UNHCR will seek to gradually replace core relief item with cash assistance, depending on local market absorption capacities.
• Education: Working through COVID-19 prevention measures, UNHCR and partners will work to allow children to return to school in a safe and protective environment, as per the Ministry of Education guidelines, while building on the Government of Ethiopia’s pledges at the Global Refugee Forum by ensuring that refugees are increasingly included in the national education sector investment plans alongside Ethiopians, as outlined in the UNHCR Education Strategy 2020-2025.
• Resilience and durable solutions: UNHCR will continue to secure durable solutions for people of concern; ensure the issuance of documentation; increase refugee self-reliance through the promotion of livelihoods;  enhance freedom of movement and the right to work; and advocate for the gradual inclusion of refugees in national services.