Ethiopia Humanitarian Bulletin Issue #19 | 04 – 17 Nov 2019

HIGHLIGHTS

• Some 313 Somali IDPs from Dire Dawa returned to their areas of origin in West Hararge zone, Oromia region

• At least three other groups from the IDPs in Dire Dawa have spontaneously relocated themselves previously to Awbarre, Togwajale, and Tuliguled of Faafan zone in Somali region.

• More than 27,000 IDPs in Metekel (Benisahngul Gumuz) and Awi (Amhara region) are living in a precarious situation.

• The fact that IDPs in Awi zone are not recognized by the regional Government has made it difficult to mobilize assistance.

• Government and partners conducting the 2019 meher/deyr seasonal assessment to determine the humanitarian requirement for Ethiopia in 2020.

• The 2020 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for Ethiopia is expected to be launched in December this year.

• FAO warned that desert locust could lead Ethiopia into problems of food security, if not controlled immediately.

• The trend of cholera cases is increasing in Afar region with at least 116 cases reported since the outbreak began in October 2019.

• The Ethiopian Humanitarian Fund (EHF) launched the second-round standard allocation of 2019 for US$ 25 million to support critical humanitarian response priorities and funding gaps.

• “I escaped with my children to the eastern villages in the Somali region, we walked for three days non-stop. We were many moving together and eventually divided into small groups as we moved deep into the bush,” says Hawa Abdulahi who is struggling to recover from the aftermath of the conflict in Moyale Town.

• “The best way to recover is to create livelihoods for the affected IDPs.
  Some IDPs are agro pastoralists, others business men and women,” adds Hawa.

Some 313 Somali IDPs from Dire Dawa returned to their areas of origin in West Hararge zone, Oromia region

On 06 November 2019, some 313 Somali IDPs (46 households) who have been residing at the Millennium Park in Dire Dawa City and opted to return to their areas of origin returned to 18 kebeles in Habro and Darulabu woredas of West Hararge zone of Oromia region. The return process was jointly led by the Dire Dawa City Administration and West Hararge zone.
The Dire Dawa Disaster Risk Management Office (DRMO) assisted the IDPs with up to ETB1,200 for transport and pocket money, as well as food for one month. Further assessment of needs is currently ongoing. The 46 households are the first group to return to their places of origin from the Dire Dawa IDP site. While some of the returnees entered directly into their own houses because the houses were not damaged, others who had lost their houses are now living with the host community.

At least three other groups of IDPs from Dire Dawa previously spontaneously relocated themselves to Awbarre, Togwajale, and Tuliguled of Faafan zone in Somali region because no adequate assistance was provided to them. Somali IDPs have been in Dire Dawa since the peak of the inter-ethnic conflict in September 2017. Dire Dawa administration decided to put them at the Millennium Park, a newly constructed recreational facility.

According to Dire Dawa DRMO, there are currently some 3,337 IDPs sheltering at the Millennium Park, although the 17th round of DTM report suggest a larger number of IDPs.
Some 180 households were relocated to Magaalo'ad site of Erer woreda in May while about 200 households were moved to Awbarre and 19 households went to Tuliguled.