Ethiopia

Content of this page:

1. Description of the refugee situation

2. Ethiopia's response to the refugee situation

3. Steps towards meeting the objectives of the Compact

1. Description of refugee situation

Where does the population of concern live?

Mostly in camps.

as of November 2019.

Find live data, information and fact sheets on the refugee situation in Ethiopia on the UNHCR Operational Portal as well as Global Focus. 

2. Ethiopia's response to the refugee situation

An overview of how the Government has structured its ability to respond to the refugee situation, with the support of partners.

At the September 2016 Leaders’ Summit, Ethiopia made nine (9) pledges to respond to the needs of refugees in a more comprehensive and sustainable manner. In order to support the implementation of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF), the Government launched a Road Map in 2017, which includes a governance structure to drive the practical implementation of the pledges.

The structure comprises a Steering Committee (SC) comprised of line ministries, federal agencies, development actors, UN Agencies and NGOs. It also includes a Technical Committees and a National Coordination Office (NCO), led by the national Agency for Refugee and Returnee Affairs (ARRA). 

Following changes in Government and ARRA, the Steering Committee and the National Coordination Office are being restructured to better align with the upcoming release of a new ten-year National Comprehensive Refugee Response Strategy (NCRRS), supported by the recently revised refugee law (the ‘Proclamation’). 

Overall, ARRA and the Government at large remain fully supportive of comprehensive responses and the GCR agenda and assure stakeholders of solid foundations for their continued implementation in the future.

3. Steps towards meeting the objectives of the Compact

Partners involved:

Line Ministries: 

• Ministry of: Education, Health, Agriculture, Water, Labour and Social Affairs, Finance
• Attorney General’s Office
• Immigration
• FVERA (Federal Vital Events Registration Agency)
• ARRA (Agency for Refugee and Returnee Affairs)

Local Government:      

• Bureaus of Finance, Education, Health, Agriculture, Water, Labour and Social Affairs
• Woreda and City Administrations

UN Agencies: UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA, UNWomen, FAO, UN HABITAT, WFP

Many international and national NGOs.

Which partnerships have been strengthened or have been made possible thanks to the implementation of the Global Compact of Refugees?

In meeting objective two of the Global Compact on Refugees - to enhance refugee self-reliance - Ethiopia adopted a new Refugee Proclamation (No. 1110/2019) in January 2019, which grants further rights to refugees and asylum-seekers such as greater freedom of movement for refugees and encouraging their participation in local economies. The Government is also drafting a ten-year National Comprehensive Refugee Response Strategy (NCRRS) to address refugee needs through strong linkages between humanitarian assistance, development interventions and peacebuilding initiatives. The Strategy will be accompanied by Regional Action Plans to help achieve the Government’s vision to move away from camp-based assistance towards alternatives to camps, and to improve services that will also benefit host communities. 

As the current chair of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development in the East and Horn of Africa (IGAD), Ethiopia also plays a pivotal role in IGAD’s Nairobi Action Plan process and commitments. For example, in line with the 2016 New York Declaration on Refugees and Migrants and the 2017 Djibouti Declaration in which IGAD member states committed to the inclusion of refugees into their national systems, the Ministry of Education and the Agency for Refugee and Returnee Affairs (ARRA) are developing a costed plan to integrate refugee education into the national system.

In addition, the Government’s efforts to meet the objectives of the GCR include:

• The 2018 launch of civil registration of vital life events for refugees, which is a critical protection tool to ensure certificates for births, deaths, marriages and divorces are issued to refugees in Ethiopia. The law applies retroactively for children born before the law was implemented.
• An increase in school enrolment rate for refugee children in early, primary, secondary, and tertiary education, which increased by 6% for pre-primary, 53% for primary and 73% for secondary in the period 2016-2018.
• Projects that support the self-reliance of refugees and host communities, implemented with partners. These include giving population groups productive assets for agriculture and livestock, supporting investments in small businesses and artisanal groups, and skills training through technical and vocational skills development initiatives.
• Strengthening refugee data to support the move away from a traditional camp-based approach towards greater inclusion of refugees in local communities and into national systems. The finalization of the comprehensive registration (called “L3”) of all refugees in Ethiopia in June 2019 has provided more comprehensive and detailed information on the individual skills, education and occupations of refugees; enabling partners to tailor solutions and protection programmes to individual needs.

Pledges and contributions made by Ethiopia

Pledges and contributions dashboard (interactive by Area of Focus)

This dashboard includes all pledges and contributions made towards the implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees in Ethiopia, including national pledges made by the Government of Ethiopia itself.