From 10_13 March 2016, UNHCR supported a WFP mission that was evaluating the impact of WFP Ethiopia operations for the period 2014-2015 in Gambella. The mission visited Jewi and Tierkidi refugee camps and interviewed different refugee groups including key informants from food, nutrition, WASH and livelihoods sectors.

For better protection and humanitarian assistance, UNHCR, in collaboration with partners, is undertaking a shelter addressing exercise in all the six refugee camps in Gambella region. The exercise, which started on 7 March, involves marking of shelters using permanent paint indicating the plot address. The address with make it easier to locate refugees and improve on provision of services and assistance. About 20,000 transitional shelters and 38,000 emergency shelters/tents are being marked with addresses during the exercise.

A cross-border raid in Gambella region on Friday, 15 April by armed men said to be from the Murle ethnic group in South Sudan left over 200 people dead, 108 children reportedly kidnapped and dozens of people wounded. The Ethiopian government Disaster Prevention and Food Security Agency (DPFSA) said no South Sudanese refugee was affected by the raid, which was unprecedented as it was well-coordinated and happened at various locations at the same time. Over 21,000 people were reportedly displaced by the raid.

Following the road accident in Jewi camp and the violent incidents, UNHCR and other humanitarian workers were forced to withdraw from Jewi, Kule and Tierkidi refugee camps while contact with refugees was done through remote monitoring. Area Security Management Team (ASMT) meetings were held to discuss the insecurity during which appropriate measures were taken including restrictions on movement of UN and other humanitarian agencies.

The first pilot biometric food distribution system was successfully completed within 8.5 days in Jewi Refugee Camp. From the total targeted population of 48,639 persons, 37,403 persons were able to collect food ration using the Biometrics system showing a 23% no show rate. Additional tests will be undertaken in the coming two months to draw a clear trend within which the construction of the two biometrics food centres in Jewi camp would have been completed.

The Ethiopia refugee agency and UNHCR are registering over 400 new South Sudanese refugee arrivals at Okugo Refugee Camp in Gambella region. The new arrivals entered Ethiopia through Raad entry point following intra-ethnic conflict in Pochalla, South Sudan. New arrivals continue. The intra-ethnic fighting reportedly broke out on 21 March in Pochalla town between Pochalla North and Pochalla South Anuak community and the fighting spread to nearby towns.

To intensify the current malaria prevention and control measures in refugee camps, 4,140 transitional shelters were sprayed with Propoxur chemical in Kule camp from 29 September to 7 October. The other five camps are following.

Global Handwashing Day celebrations were held in all refugee camps in Gambella on 15 October with support from all Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) partners. These celebrations will be peaked with the upcoming World Toilet Day to be celebrated on 19 November.

DanChurchAid (DCA) in collaboration with UNHCR and the Administration for Refugee and Returnee Affairs (ARRA) hosted a delegation of the Ambassador of Denmark to Ethiopia, the DCA General Secretary, Head of Humanitarian Director, and the DCA Regional Representative Delegation. The mission visited the Fresh Food Voucher project in Tierkidi camp on 19 October.

The Deputy Chief of Mission of the US Embassy in Addis Ababa, Mr. Peter H. Vrooman, visited UNHCR Sub-Office Gambella on 9 December. Mr. Vrooman’s last visit to Gambella was in March 2015 when he inaugurated Jewi camp along with the President of Gambella Regional State, His Excellency Ato Gatluak Tuk Khot; Administration for Refugee and Returnee Affairs (ARRA); Deputy Director Ato Ayalew Aweke; then outgoing UNHCR Representative (Director of the Regional Bureau for Africa), Mr. Valentin Tapsoba; and the Deputy Assistant Secretary Catherine Wiesner of the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (BPRM) in Washington.