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Ethiopia + 5 more

UNHCR Ethiopia - Operational Update (December 2018)

Attachments

A new Global Compact on Refugees has been agreed upon by UN members states. The compact will further guide the roll-out of Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) in Ethiopia, and across the world.

Two multi-dollar investments were made by the global fund ‘Education Cannot Wait’ and the African Development Bank in December which have potential to further the Global Compact and CRRF agenda in Ethiopia.

As UNHCR works to enhance registration data, the monthly population of concern figures have been frozen as of 31 August 2018, to facilitate the completion of the ongoing Level 3 Registration. New figures is released on 1 June 2019.

KEY INDICATORS (AS OF 31 AUGUST)

905,831 Refugees and asylum seekers registered in Ethiopia

59% Percentage of refugees below the age of 18

36,135 New arrivals registered in Ethiopia in 2018

New Global Compact of Refugees, benefitting both refugees and host communities

On 17 December, in a historic decision, the UN Member States agreed on a new international framework – known as the Global Compact on Refugees – that will transform the way the world responds to mass displacement and refugee crises, benefiting both refugees and the communities that host them. It builds on the existing international legal system for refugees, notably the 1951 Refugee Convention, and on human rights and humanitarian law. It is a non-binding operational tool to bolster cooperation.

More support to hosting countries

The new global deal will provide more robust support for the countries where most refugees live: “It provides long overdue recognition that countries hosting large numbers of refugees provide a huge service to our shared humanity and sets out ways through which the rest of the world can help share the load,” said the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.
Nine out of 10 refugees live in developing countries, where basic services like health or education are already strained. The compact aims to address this issue by providing more investment – from both governments and the private sector – to further strengthen infrastructure and the provision of services for the benefit of both refugees and host communities. It also calls for policies and measures that will enable refugees to access education and to lead productive lives during the time they are in exile.
The compact also aims to address the environmental impact of hosting refugee populations and includes promotion of the use of alternative energy.