UN Seeks 658 Million USD Support for Refugees in Ethiopia

ENA, January 26/20202 The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and partners are appealing for robust international support for refugee operations in Ethiopia with the launch of a funding appeal for 658 million USD to assist over 735,000 refugees and more than half a million Ethiopian hosts in 2020. 

International support and solidarity is vital to ensure the implementation of the wide range of rights granted to refugees by Ethiopia during the last three years, UNHCR revealed on January 20, 2020.

The country’s revised laws grant refugees the right to work and access social services, facilitating their inclusion among the communities where they live in Ethiopia.

The Ethiopia Refugee Response Plan, launched in Addis Ababa, covers humanitarian activities by UNHCR and 57 other humanitarian partners, it further stated.

As of the statement, it seeks to address huge gaps in health and nutrition, education, and shelter while also investing in sectors including sanitation, energy and likelihoods.

Ethiopia adopted progressive laws, which allow refugees to obtain work permits, access primary education and obtain drivers’ licenses in January last year, enabling refugees to register essential events such as births and gain access to national financial services, such as banking, it was indicated.

Resources are needed to expand existing social services infrastructure in health, education, water and sanitation, environmental protection, social protection and employment as part of the broad refugee response, it was pointed out.