Ethiopia Crisis Watch

What caused the crisis in Ethiopia?

The conflict in the northern Tigray region comes at a particularly delicate time for the country. COVID-19 has exacerbated needs, particularly for communities that had already been affected by conflict and natural events. Similar shocks are likely to recur in 2021 due to climate change, political tensions, and the fact that Ethiopia is at the epicenter of the biggest locust outbreak in living memory, which could severely worsen food insecurity in the year ahead.

What are the main humanitarian challenges in Ethiopia?

Ethiopia is second only to Yemen for the total number of people in need in 2021.

Conflict in the Tigray region is driving a rapid rise in humanitarian needs, including refugee movements into Sudan, amid allegations of violence against civilians. The conflict and enduring political tensions increase the risk of greater conflict and instability in other parts of Ethiopia.

Prior to the conflict, the COVID-19 pandemic had already doubled the number of people in need in Ethiopia, primarily driven by limits on economic activities, increased unemployment and interrupted education for more than 26 million children across the country. 

Ethiopia is also the epicenter of the largest locust outbreak in decades. At least 1 million Ethiopians suffered crop losses due to the locusts; as a result, 11 million Ethiopians are forecast to face crisis levels of food insecurity. 

Moreover, one million people were affected and 300,000 people displaced by flooding in 2020 alone and, with climate change increasing the frequency of extreme weather patterns, 2021 may also see major natural-driven emergencies

How does the IRC help in Ethiopia?

The IRC’s mission is to help people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover and gain control of their future.

We first began assisting people in Ethiopia in 2000, providing essential aid to over 100,000 refugees from neighboring countries and more than 500,000 Ethiopians affected by previous droughts. Since then, the IRC has expanded to provide a wide range of assistance for refugees living in camps and for vulnerable Ethiopian communities throughout the country. In 2013, the IRC opened the largest water system for any refugee camp in the world.

As Ethiopia hosts approximately 800,000 refugees and asylum seekers, and works to recover from the effects of drought, conflict and other economic shocks, the IRC is focusing our efforts in affected communities by:

• providing cash and basic emergency supplies such as household kitchen sets, blankets, and buckets and jerrycans, as well as supplies to meet the specific needs of women and girls;
• building and maintaining safe water supply systems and sanitation facilities;
• educating communities on good hygiene practices to prevent the spread of disease, including COVID-19;
• supporting government partners and community workers in primary health care clinics on preventing and treating common childhood illnesses and addressing family planning needs;
• constructing classrooms, training teachers and ensuring access to safe, high-quality, and responsive education services;
• introducing new livelihoods-related skills and job opportunities to youth and vulnerable households.
   

What still needs to be done?

The IRC calls on all parties in Ethiopia’s recent conflict to prioritize de-escalation and protect civilians and the most vulnerable.

It is absolutely imperative that escalating tensions and conflict do not prevent the delivery of humanitarian aid. Hostilities must not interfere with efforts to combat the locust outbreak, which could have far reaching implications for Tigray, Ethiopia, and the region. 

The IRC will continue to provide a wide range of emergency assistance and long-term support for vulnerable refugee and Ethiopian communities—including at-risk groups such as unaccompanied children and people with disabilities—to help them cope with and recover from crises