Eritrea/Ethiopia: Update to ETH35052.E of 22 September 2000 on repatriation from Eritrea to Ethiopia and vice versa, and whether persons who were deported from Eritrea to Ethiopia and vice versa, because of their ethnicity, during the border war (May 1998/June 2000) can repatriate and live normal lives

In addition to information contained in ZZZ37516.E of 26 September 2001 on repatriations from Ethiopia and Eritrea, the following information is excerpted from the UNDP Emergencies Unit for Ethiopia "Current situation and progress of humanitarian assistance to vulnerable population segments affected by the border conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray Region, Assessment Mission: 21 - 30 January 2002."

2.2 Assistance to Ethiopian nationals returned from Eritrea to be revised and

reprogrammed

Since the start of the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea in May 1998, nationals of both countries had to return to their places of origin. Between May 1998 and August 2001, approximately 95,000 Ethiopian nationals that were living in Eritrea returned to Ethiopia. Out of this total, approximately 70,000 to 75,000 are members of families originating from Tigray that have been sent to locations in the three different northern zones between September 1998 and September 2001 and of these the zonal DPPDs [Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Department (zonal level)] compiled a total of 62,242 people that were officially registered in the various transit centres that existed upon their arrival from Eritrea. These people have been sent to the three administrative zones in Tigray as follows: eastern zone 37,050, central zone 20,183, western zone 5,009 (Buffoni & Tadesse, 2001: p.37/38).

Of the registered people that returned from Eritrea in the eastern zone, most are concentrated in Adigrat town and its vicinity, according to regional authorities. In fact, most people returning from Eritrea found themselves sooner or later in urban centres. Some communities increased substantially during the border conflict, further exacerbating their own recovery difficulties. In Adigrat town and its vicinity, first some 10,000 IDPs [Internally Displaced Persons] from war-affected border areas and progressively a total of some 37,000 people from Eritrea were added on top of the total population of approximately 50,000. Although local authorities attempt to motivate returning Ethiopian nationals to establish themselves in rural areas, many came back from their original settlements to Adigrat. First the IDP influx and then the people from Eritrea were and still are a heavy burden to the town's social infrastructure. There is insufficient school space. For 1,000 children from Zala Ambessa the only schooling opportunity is to pay to go to night school. The town's medical infrastructure is stretched beyond its limits and house rents increased in 1998 with the first influx of IDPs and have remained above pre-war levels ...

As some people had lived for extensive periods in Eritrea, their return and integration became more delicate. Many, especially children, had never been to Ethiopia. Furthermore, the initial assistance package for one year (The relief-and-rehabilitation-package includes a one-time rehabilitation and reintegration allowance of ETB [Ethiopian Bir] 1000 (US$84.50) per family head, plus ETB 500 for the spouse and ETB 100 for each child. The package also includes 15 kg of Sorghum flour, 600 grams of cooking oil per person and supplementary food such as 'Fafa' for children under five years of age. Those food rations are distributed each month for a period of nine months. In addition, cooking utensils, plastic Jerry cans, and blankets are given for each family) proved to be insufficient and the virtual impossibility to acquire land for cultivation and aggravated circumstances for off-farm job opportunities does not leave much space for alternative options. Hence, it is obvious that many need further food and cash assistance as well as job training and schooling opportunities. Until the end of 2001, approximately 19,000 Ethiopian nationals who returned from Eritrea and had already exhausted their initial assistance package, received food aid through the WFP/REST [World Food Program/Relief Society of Tigray] distributions. However, this group is no longer included in the present IDP caseload for food aid. In coordination with the Tigray Women's Affairs Office and other Tigray regional counterparts, UNICEF provided technical support and funding to a study investigating the livelihood situation of Ethiopian nationals who returned from Eritrea and are of Tigrian origin (Buffoni & Tadesse, 2001). The study findings and recommendations helps to set the framework for further discussions among concerned stakeholders and donor agencies and a plan of action regarding further assistance ... (ibid.) ...

The high number of people that returned from Eritrea was unexpected and surprised the regional authorities. Consequently, and to better cope with this vulnerable population segment, the Regional Government decided to establish a Regional Rehabilitation Bureau under the Regional President's Office later funded by the ERP. The ERP also has an assistance component for Ethiopian nationals that have returned from Eritrea, although support has not yet started as the primary focus of the ERP assistance was on IDPs, families of war deceased and demobilised war veterans. The Regional Government realised that most Ethiopian nationals who returned from Eritrea need a different form of assistance than that which they received upon arrival. For schooling of children and students from Eritrea, the government organises school level tests and thereafter most find a place in one of the schools. It is known, and the UNICEF commissioned study (Buffoni & Tadesse, 2001) confirmed, that the majority of these people do have relatively low levels of education and professional skills and consequently have been mainly engaged in informal sector activities such as petty business and daily/casual labour or domestic work such as housekeeping and guarding. This engenders particular problems that need to be addressed through specific job training activities to enable these people to integrate into off-farm income generating activities. The ERP as well as the Regional Government are still discussing the matter and, from the ERP side, a study is in progress to clarify some of the most critical problems that go with integration, particularly in Tigray. However, the integration of people who returned from Eritrea is a national problem. But Eastern Tigray with its concentration of a large number concentrated principally in one location - Adigrat - faces particular problems that may only be shared with Dessie town in South Wollo zone of Amhara Region.

2.3 The 'Kunama' refugees in western Tigray Zone awaiting camp relocation

The Kunamas are an agro-pastoralist ethnic group of 80,000 to 100,000 people living in the southeast of Gash-Setit province in Eritrea around the Gash and Setit river basin, south of Barentu town and southeast of Tesney town along the Sudanese border down to Ethiopian territory in the Yirga triangle and north of western Tigray zone. In Ethiopia, only around 1,000 Kunamas are living in Adi Goshu woreda of Western Tigray zone. During the border conflict, thousands of nationals from each country were forced to flee their villages of origin and accordingly sought asylum in neighbouring countries. The Kunama ethnic group living on Eritrean territory did not move from their homes as those who became IDPs. Hence, a few thousand found themselves in-between frontlines (see Ahrens & Guinand, 1998a). The Ethiopian offensive in 2000 together with problems such as marginalisation that minority ethnic groups usually face within national states, provoked migration starting in April 2000 towards the Shiraro area on Ethiopian territory. Today, some 4,000 Kunama refugees of Eritrean origin are gathered and living in a camp that was set up in August 2000. The camp is located 14 km north of Shiraro town on the Shiraro-Badme road and is the only existing refugee camp in Tigray Region. The governmental Administration for Refugees and Returnees Affairs (ARRA) and UNHCR administer the camp. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) provides technical assistance while WFP and DPPC supply food. The camp is likely to be relocated near future approximately 13 km west of Shiraro in a place called 'Grat-Reda', further away from the future border line of the two countries. Most of the camp dwellers the mission found during the visit to the camp were women, children and elderly people. On the other hand, according to a UNHCR census of the camp population in November 2001, the demographic composition is different, i.e. male and female ratio is almost equal (49/51) and the middle aged, both male and female, make up almost 70% of the total registered camp population. The Kunama refugee representative of the camp told the UN-EUE mission that most middle-aged men are herding their livestock outside the camp during the day. These people are likely to remain with their refugee status in Ethiopia until final resolution of boundary and political issues. As agro-pastoralists, the Kunama refugees still possess livestock, mainly camels, goats and sheep, that are grazing in the area around the camp ... (ibid.).

Additional and or corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Reference

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Emergencies Unit for Ethiopia. 19 February 2002. Yves Guinard and Benoit Raymakers. "Current Situation and Progress of Humanitarian Assistance to Vulnerable Population Segments Affected by the Border Conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray Region: Assessment Mission: 21 -30 January 2002."

Additional Sources Consulted

Africa Confidential

Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series

Amnesty International Reports

The Horn of Africa Bulletin

The Indian Ocean Newsletter

Internet sites including:

Amnesty International

Human Rights Watch

Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN)

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

United States Committee for Refugees (USCR)

United States Department of State

Search engines including:

Google

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