UNHCR will continue to deliver protection and assistance to a rapidly growing urban population, while pursuing durable solutions whenever appropriate. Community based Protection and refugee volunteer outreach will remain at the core of the programme, with ongoing discussions on how to best shift from the current blanket assistance to a more differentiated/targeted approach to assistance for urban refugees, targeting those with specific needs. A review and rationalization of interventions for urban refugees will be done, in order to remove distinctions in assistance based on the reasons for the refugees’ presence in the urban program.
Refugees in the urban program will be assisted to access education and health services at par with Ethiopian nationals and align this support to the UNHCR’s Ethiopia Program Health Policy. Increased dialogue between refugee parents and local school authorities/teachers will be a priority, as well as “anti-bullying campaigns” to protect refugee children from abuse in schools. Expenses related to school enrolment will be covered using a differentiated approach as described above. Amharic classes for children will be supported.
The urban livelihoods strategy for UNHCR Addis Ababa will be implemented in order to help refugees realize their ability to be self-reliant. This will include concrete interventions such as micro-loans, cash grants and seed money for businesses. Ensuring refugee self-reliance and access to sustainable livelihoods activities is a key factor in the successful implementation of the Urban Refugee Program and will offer suitable alternatives o refugees who will not be targeted for assistance.
Asylum-seekers will continue to have access to individual registration within 7 days, while prioritized walk-in registration will be conducted for individuals and families with specific needs. Refugee claims will be adjudicated promptly with a high level of quality. Efforts will continue to secure greater government ownership of the RSD process, both with regard to the administrative and substantive sides of case processing. UNHCR will continue to raise awareness among the refugee community on legal remedies for survivors of SGBV. Improved counselling and services will be offered to survivors. At-risk children will be closely monitored, including unaccompanied and separated children. Efforts will be made to integrate community based complaint mechanisms in all of the programmes to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation and abuse, while adopting inter-agency approach.
For the Kenya Borenas, UNHCR will retain partners to implement projects in the various sectors, particularly shelter and WASH, and regular monitoring by UNHCR will ensure quality of services and protection are upheld. UNHCR has started its advocacy for the voluntary return of Kenyan Borena refugees since 2005. This includes advocacy with the government of Kenya to provide alternative land for those whose land was forcibly taken, and continued attention to reconciliation and peace-building to avoid future clan conflict. The Cross Border Programme targeting the areas hosting the Kenyan Borena refugees in Ethiopia and their area of origin within Kenya, launched by the Governments of Ethiopia and Kenya, and the UN country teams in the two countries, at the end of 2015, offers solutions opportunities to be further explored.
Voluntary repatriation will be the most prioritized objective for the office to pursue for Kenyan Borena refugees which is expected to be achieved in 2017. UNHCR Representation in Ethiopia will continue to engage the Kenyan authorities and UNHCR Kenya, for the formalization of a voluntary return plan.
UNHCR will continue scaling its engagement in the area of IDPs and take on a more robust leadership role with regard to the Protection Cluster. Protection mainstreaming will be undertaken as will protection monitoring in the affected areas. Strong advocacy on key protection issues will continue, including having engagements with the government to maintain a momentum towards the ratification of the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced People in Africa (Kampala Convention).