The refugee crisis has already morphed into an international predicament requiring international intervention. Due to the ongoing conflicts and natural disasters in the Horn of Africa, the situation has been becoming even worse. These factors triggered a great deal of human displacement, which resulted in a sizable refugee population. Due to scarce resources, the region has mostly relied on foreign handouts to get through the crisis.
Global intervention is now necessary to address the refugee crisis, which has become an international issue. The Horn of Africa is particularly worse off due to ongoing conflicts and natural disasters that have caused large-scale population displacement. Due to a lack of resources, the region has mostly relied on international handouts to get by.
The international community has a legal and moral obligation to protect the communities; anti-immigrant sentiment and xenophobic attacks have been on the rise as leaders of countries fail to do enough to curb the problem. The refugee crisis has become a global problem requiring global intervention. The situation in the Horn of Africa is even worse as the region continues to go through conflicts and natural disasters. These factors led to massive displacement of people. As the world struggles to cope with the influx of migrants, some countries, even the richest ones, have been closing their borders and enacting harsh laws to discourage migration.
Offering improved social services, nations like Ethiopia have been attempting to rekindle the dreams of displaced people. Ethiopia has always been available to extend a warm welcome to refugees seeking sanctuary in the nation, despite its mountains of internal chaos. Ethiopia has a long history of welcoming refugees and having a welcoming culture that dates back centuries, long before the international community developed laws to safeguard these rights.
Ethiopia has long been regarded as a haven for refugees seeking refuge and a way out of persecution elsewhere. Even the religious teachings acknowledged this distinctive quality and the actions of Ethiopians. Ethiopians have a deeply ingrained habit of welcoming strangers with open arms; it is not a fad.
Ethiopia, one of the main countries that host migrants, has been at the forefront of international efforts to protect refugees. Additionally, it has led by example by ratifying international agreements like the Kampala Convention, also known as the African Union’s (AU) Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Africa. Additionally, the nation was among the first to adopt the Refugee Proclamation No. 1110/2019 and the entire framework for responding to refugees as part of the Global Compact on Refugees.
The refugee issue is intensifying as long-lasting conflicts and instability remain throughout the Horn of Africa. There is already a severe humanitarian crisis as a result of internal conflicts that are occasionally fueled by outside forces. The number of displaced individuals has already risen alarmingly.
Apart from the recurrent conflicts that have emerged in other nations in the region, the conflict has wreaked devastation in Sudan, a country that was always unstable. Indeed, the region is facing both man-made and natural problems, which are causing a high level of migration to neighboring countries—from terrorism to proxy wars. Additionally, Ethiopia is housing a sizable number of refugees. It has already constructed temporary camps for refugees across the nation.
Nearly 1.1 million refugees of various nationalities are being housed in the nation at the moment. The refugees have expressed their gratitude to the Ethiopian people and government and are granted various rights. The government has received plaudits from throughout the world for its comprehensive efforts to protect and aid refugees.
Sudanese refugees, who fled their own country’s violence and fled to Ethiopia, remarked that Ethiopians’ kindness and respect for them “have made Ethiopia feel like our second home.” Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to escape to neighboring countries, particularly Ethiopia, as a result of the fighting in Sudan. Numerous border crossing locations have allowed a large number of Sudanese refugees to access the Gambella, Benishangul Gumuz, and Amhara regions during the conflict.
Lately, the country and World Food Program appealed to the international community to increase funds to cope up with the influx of refugees and provide humanitarian needs to refugees already sheltering in the country.
In the past years, there have been significant drops in funds as the world continues to be beset by raging conflicts. The conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and Gaza have somehow led to the reduction of funds to Africa.
WFP also forecasts burgeoning humanitarian needs as the region braces for more conflicts and natural disasters. The humanitarian agency is struggling to keep pace with the rising humanitarian needs.
The UN feeding agency also signaled a 341 million USD gap in funding to deliver life-saving food assistance to the most vulnerable over the next six months.
WFP is now providing only 60 per cent of the needed daily nutritional requirement to refugees sheltering in Ethiopia, so said, WFP country, Milisic speaking to The Ethiopian Herald.
Due to the increased needs, with over a million registered refugees and asylum seekers in the country; WFP has had to reduce rations to ensure that all refugees are assisted, the country director added.
“We are borrowing from a contingency fund in which we have to repay and looking at all possible ways to help those in need,”
Currently, Ethiopia hosts over one million refugees who were displaced and fled war-torn neighboring nations. Countries like Ethiopia also appeal for more international donors and financers to do more to abate the dire humanitarian crisis unfolding in the continent, said the director.
The funding situation is very worrying and the future is not looking very optimistic too. “We are trying to speak to our donors and explore other finances and back our operation. At this moment, we are securing 90 million, but are quite worried that there is a big gap between the demand and supply.”
“We are concerned that our needs are still quite big, 13 million people need humanitarian aid in Ethiopia. And the fund is not even close to what we hope it’s to be.” Milisic added.
Some donors that used to fund WFP have stopped funding over some concerns WFP is strengthening its monitoring and supervision mechanisms to redress concerns of irregularities raised by donors. I understand donors would like to see strong measures put in place and we are trying to implement strong because hungry people cannot wait.
Ethiopia also lamented dwindling international support to meet the burgeoning humanitarian aid to refugees seeking haven in the country.
The country also rebukes growing anti-immigrant and refugee sentiments in the most developed parts of the world.
Currently, Ethiopia hosts over 1. 1 million refugees and asylum seekers and continues to struggle with the influx of refugees fleeing recurrent conflicts and natural disasters in neighboring countries.
Ethiopia is now providing shelters to refugees in 27 centers. In contradiction the country is receiving support which is far from the required one, said Teyiba Hassen, Director General, refugee and Returnee service.
In an exclusive interview with The Ethiopian Herald, the Director General said that the international community’s support for refugees sheltering in the country is declining year to year despite repeated calls and pleas from the country, she added.
“The country has been bearing the heaviest responsibility and the international community has left the country into the corner.”
There is a big decline in international support and the situation has not improved despite Ethiopia’s engagement with donors.
The host country and the internal community have equal responsibilities to give better services to refugees.
Teyiba also rebukes the rising sentiment of anti-immigrants and refugees in some parts of the world. “Ethiopia strongly condemns these acts as they run in contradiction to international conventions and human rights,”
Ethiopia has been receiving refugees since the 7th century and continues to be the safest destination for migrants.
Although the funding gap hurts refugees’ response operations, we will continue to provide the necessary assistance to refugees coming into the country, Teyiba added.
BY DESTA GEBREHIWOT
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 17 SEPTEMBER 2024
