Return of 2,400 Somali refugees leads to closing of third camp in Ethiopia
The voluntary return of more than 2,400 Somali refugees last week brings to more than 50,000 the number of voluntary repatriations last year and leads to the closing of a third refugee camp in Ethiopia.
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, Jan. 2 (UNHCR) - The repatriation of thousands of Somali refugees from Ethiopia has continued at a steady pace, reflecting a more stable situation in parts of the east African country and leading to the closing of three of eight refugee camps.
Two convoys last week repatriated 2,412 people from Ethiopia's Daror camp to north-west Somalia, bringing the total number of refugees who returned home in 2001 to 50,216. The latest returnees received a nine-month food ration, plastic sheeting and blankets to help them restart their lives.
The Daror complex, which includes health clinics, schools, water systems and generators, and which once hosted 50,000 refugees, will be handed over by UNHCR to the local community.
Earlier last year, Teferiber and Dawarnaji camps were also closed.
Another estimated 67,000 Somalis who fled following the outbreak of widespread civil war a decade ago remain in five other camps in Ethiopia. More than half are expected to return home by June, but some 30,000 others from southern Somalia cannot be repatriated because the security situation in that part of the country remains unstable.
Related news and stories
Thousands of newly arrived Somali refugees in Ethiopia relocated to new settlement
Samira's Story
Drought brings life-threatening food shortages for refugees in Ethiopia
100,000 new Somali refugees arrive in Ethiopia in the past month, UN and partners are calling for urgent funding
UNHCR teams and partners rush assistance to some 100,000 newly arrived Somali refugees in hard-to-reach area of Ethiopia
As the Horn of Africa drought enters a sixth failed rainy season, UNHCR calls for urgent assistance
-
Refugees in Cote d'Ivoire build back businesses despite COVID-19
22 Dec 2021 -
Hope for refugees in Angola as they receive COVID-19 vaccines
22 Dec 2021 UNHCR's advocacy efforts pay off as Angola includes refugees and asylum seekers in national COVID-19 vaccination campaign. -
Relief International
21 Dec 2021 -
Scale up support to Iran to safeguard fleeing Afghans, says UNHCR's Grandi
21 Dec 2021 -
Age Gender and Diversity Tip sheet - Helping to ensure AGD inclusive pledges and good practices for the GRF (ARABIC version, 2021)
21 Dec 2021 (ARABIC language version) This Tip Sheet builds on the progress made at the 2019 Global Refugee Forum (GRF) to help ensure pledges address gaps related to age, gender, and diversity (AGD), including disability, in refugee responses. -
Thousands of DR Congo refugees in Zambia opt to head home
21 Dec 2021 -
Clashes in Cameroon's Far North displace more than 100,000 people
17 Dec 2021 -
Big (Crisis) data for predictive models - A literature review
17 Dec 2021 This report summarizes the academic and grey literature on the usage of big data sources in the modelling and prediction of forcibly displaced persons. Based on the findings, it highlights possible avenues for UNHCR to include big data sources into their work. -
Guidelines on supervised independent living for unaccompanied children
17 Dec 2021 This guideline seeks to assist UNHCR and partner staff working on child protection and guide them in assessing and making decisions on the most appropriate alternative care, establishing and supporting supervised independent living arrangements, and monitoring and follow-up for unaccompanied children.