There are now more than 1.8 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ethiopia, a new report on internal displacement released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) revealed on Monday.
The report, which was completed in September and endorsed by Ethiopian authorities, contains data collected between June and July 2020 through the assessment of more than 1,200 IDP sites and over 1,200 villages where IDPs had reportedly returned.
The primary cause of displacement: conflict, which has resulted in 1,233,557 IDPs across this country. The second highest cause: drought, which displaced 351,062 IDPs, followed by seasonal floods (displacing 104,696 IDPs) and flash floods (50,093).
This is the first time that the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) obtained authorization to conduct its Site Assessment tool in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Region (SNNPR) and in the newly established Sidama Region in the country. A total of 93,982 IDPs were found in both regions where 66,994 IDPs (71%) were displaced due to conflict and 26,988 IDPs (29%) were displaced due to flash floods.
The assessment of regions may differ from round to round due to insecurity, road inaccessibility and climate related issues. However, through its Site Assessment, DTM managed to cover the 11 regions of Ethiopia this round which include Afar, Amhara, Benishangul Gumuz, Dire Dawa, Gambella, Harari, Oromia, Sidama, SNNPR, Somali and Tigray.
The report combines findings from both IOM’s Site Assessment which tracks the number of IDPs and IOM’s Village Assessment Survey tool which tracks the number of IDPs who are returning to their communities and needs.
The Government has been leading a return initiative since April 2019. This followed as displacement reached a peak of 3.04 million IDPs in March 2019. Through the Village Assessment Survey tool, a total of 1,400,892 returning IDPs were identified throughout the country. A large majority of them (1,328,652 individuals or 95 per cent of the total) were initially displaced due to conflict.
MG/abj/APA