The Italian President, His Excellency Sergio Mattarella on 16 March visited the South Sudanese refugee operation in Gambella Region, western Ethiopia. He was accompanied by Italian government officials, media personnel and other officials from the Embassy including the Italian Ambassador for Ethiopia. The mission was received and welcomed at Gambella Airport by the President of Gambella Region, His Excellency Gatluak Tut Khot, Vice President of the region, His Excellency Engineer Olero Opiew, Ato Ayelew Awoke ARRA Deputy Director from Addis Ababa, ARRA Zonal Coordinator, Ato Teferi Bekele, the UNHCR Head of Sub–Office Ms. Angele Djohossou and UNICEF colleagues from Addis Ababa and Gambella.

From 14-15 March, the UNHCR Representative, Ms. Clementine Nkweta Salami visited the UNHCR operation in Gambella to get first-hand information on the prevailing security situation and the way forward to ensure staff safety and to keep humanitarian activities running smoothly. Interethnic clashes broke out in the region on 28 January and lasted for a few weeks.

On 8 March the International Women’s Day was colourfully celebrated in refugee camps in Gambella region. The occasion was marked with traditional dancers, songs by school children, drama and speeches that focused on gender equality promotion. The Refugee Central Committee (RCC) chairpersons spoke of the need for the refugee community to change some of the cultural habits that deny women opportunities to participate in leadership. Among few things mentioned were early marriage which prevent girls from completing higher education.

In early April, the Gambella region in western Ethiopia experienced a relatively high number of new South Sudanese arrivals into the region, crossing to Okugo refugee camp through the Raad corridor. Since 5 April 2016, more than 300 new arrivals have been registered by the Administration for Refugee and Returnee Affairs (ARRA) with support from UNHCR. Dozens of Unaccompanied and Separated children were among the new arrivals. Most of them said they trekked in the jungle for about two weeks before arriving in Okugo. UNHCR and partners have provided the refugees with basic assistance including corn soya blend (CSB) to children, plastic sheets, mosquito nets, blankets, sleeping mats and water jerry cans at the camp. The new arrivals fled intra-ethnic clashes in Ponchalla area which broke out on 21 March in Pochalla town between Pochalla North and Pochalla South Anuak communities and soon spread to nearby towns.

At an ad hoc inter-agency task force meeting held on 27 April and which was co-chaired by UNHCR and ARRA, ARRA assured all humanitarian actors of security as the government has reinforced the presence of Ethiopian Defence Force and Federal Police who are currently controlling the situation in Gambella region.

In Tierkidi camp, various religious denominations (Presbyterian, Catholic, Nazarene, Seventh Day Adventist, and Evangelical Covenant Churches) held general “prayers for peace” in response to recent fighting in Juba. Various speakers at the event, which was held on 15 July urged compatriots to strive for peace with statements such as: “let us start peace at home; war kills our children; where there is love and forgiveness there will be no revenge and hatred etc”. Generally, refugees considered the development in Juba as a major setback to their hopes of returning home in the near future.

From interviews conducted by UNHCR on 27 April, refugees in Jewi camp expressed deep regret over the violence in their camp on 21 April and assured that it will never happen again. The camp leadership noted that no road accident had occurred in the camp before since it was established about a year ago and blamed the recent violence in the camp as the work of “criminals in their midst”.

The main decisions taken by the task force in relation to the incidents in Jewi refugee camp included: the Protection Working Group to develop a communication and awareness raising strategy and action plan targeting refugees in all camps, as well as host community; and sensitization campaign in refugee camps to be launched on 2 May. The Protection Working Group drafted a communication strategy for refugees and host communities in Gambella for raising awareness on the Rule of Law and Peaceful co-existence.

World Vision Ethiopia on 28 June started the handover of Kule refugee camp permanent water supply system to the International Rescue Committee (IRC).

UNHCR and other humanitarian workers, vehicles, and offices in Gambella were targeted for attacks on Saturday, 23 April following a road accident in Jewi refugee camp on 21 April which claimed lives of two refugee children. The accident, involving a hired bus of a private contractor and which was driven by an Ethiopian national, subsequently sparked off reprisal killings in the camp leading to loss of 10 lives. The violence spilled over to Gambella town where some people were also killed. An angry mob targeted UN and other humanitarian agencies in Gambella town and also attempted to attack Jewi refugee camp but was prevented from doing so by the Ethiopian Defence Force. The violent security incidents affected service delivery in the camps.