The number of internally displaced people (IDP) in Ethiopia due to ethic clashes has reached 2.8 million from 1.6 million at the beginning of the year, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said.
The past few weeks’ displacement of Ethiopians from Somali Regional State capital, Jigjiga, has contributed to the most to the increase of IDPs. In addition, the inter-communal clashes between the Guji tribe of Oromia Region and Gedo tribe in the Southern Region few months ago resulting in close to a million people displacement, has also contributed to the increase.
Ethiopia needs $117.7 million for the Gedeo West Guji conflict IDPs assistance for the coming six months, according to the end of July, 2018 UNOCHA humanitarian bulletin.
To help the IDPs in Oromia and Somali Region of Ethiopia, the National Disaster Risk Management Commission has been providing basic food assistance to 50,352 beneficiaries in Wonago district since July 24, according to the bulletin.
Other than providing humanitarian assistance, the government along with elders and clan leaders have been facilitating inter-communal dialogues and mediation to restore peace and resettle the displaced in
the areas they used to live.
According to the 2018 global report on internal displacement by a Geneva-based organization, which used the 2017 data, in Africa there were total of IDPs 5, 472,000 by conflict and 2,561,000 by disaster.
Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia and Ethiopia, had the highest IDPs by both by conflict and disaster in Africa with 2,193,000, 1,287,000 and 1,159,000 respectively, according to the report.
Other than those displaced due to conflict in Ethiopia, some 2.5 million people are expected to be internally displaced because of the current rainy season, which may result in flooding, according to
UNICEF.
In addition to the internally displaced people, Ethiopia is currently hosting some 920,000 refugees from neighboring countries, Somalia, South Sudan, Eritrea and Sudan.