Joint - Multi - Sectoral Initial Rapid Assessment (MIRA) Report: Oromia - Somali Renewed Intercommunal Conflict, East Borena Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia (August 2025)

Oromia - Somali Renewed Intercommunal Conflict

EAST BORENA ZONE, OROMIA REGION, ETHIOPIA, AUGUST 2025

1. OBJECTIVES
• Assess humanitarian impact of Oromo- Somali intercommunal conflict.
• Ascertain displacement figures.
• Determine needs, humanitarian access, response capacity and coordination mechanisms.

2. METHODOLOGY
• The assessment followed the revised national Multi-sectoral Initial Rapid Assessment (MIRA) framework.
• The Community-Level Rapid Assessment Tool was used to gather data at the community level, not household level.
• Purposive sampling targeted three of the four most affected woredas, based on initial displacement estimates and reports of impacted kebeles.
• Stakeholder consultations included NGOs, government officials and community leaders.
• 35 Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and 7 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with diverse community groups were held.
• Assessment data was complemented by secondary data from government and Woreda Task Forces.
• Direct observation was conducted at IDP sites to assess shelter, WASH, health services, and infrastructure.
• A participatory approach ensured collaboration with woreda and zonal authorities for validation and local ownership of findings.

3. BACKGROUND
East Borena Zone, the 21st administrative division of Oromia Regional State, is in southeastern part of Ethiopia and spans approximately 44,634 square kilometers. It comprises eight rural woredas—Liban, Goro Dola, Mada Walabu, West Walabu, Wachile, Arero, Dhas, and Gumi Eldalo—along with the Negele Borena Town Administration. With a population of over 1 million zonal BoFED. The zone is characterized by vast lowland terrain and limited infrastructure, making access to basic services and markets challenging. East Borena is highly vulnerable to natural and man-made hazards, including recurrent droughts, floods, livestock diseases, and inter-communal conflicts. In July 2025, a renewed inter-clan conflict erupted between communities in Oromia and the neighboring Somali region, centered around territorial disputes in Wachile, Dhas, Gumi Eldalo and Arero woredas. This violence led to the displacement of over 127,000 individual, loss of lives, destruction of property, and looting of livestock, further deepening the crisis according to zonal and woreda BGO. The conflict has disrupted local markets, limited mobility, and inflicted psychological trauma on affected communities, particularly due to the nature of the violence.