ECHO - The South and South-East of Ethiopia are affected by serious drought due to the fourth consecutive failed rainy season.

On 16 June, the Day of the African Child was commemorated in all South Sudanese refugee camps in Gambella region. Children’s activities to mark the day included: songs, cultural show, football and volleyball matches.

Both refugees and members of host communities participated in activities to commemorate World Refugee Day on 20 June, which focused on promoting peaceful coexistence among refugees and between refugees and their host community. The main event in Gambella region took place at Tierkidi camp. There were also activities in the other five South Sudanese refugee camps in the region.

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

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.

UNHCR Gambella took part in inter-agency assessment mission to areas affected by the cross-border raid of 15 April by gunmen which left over 200 people killed and over 21,000 displaced. The mission visited Lare Woreda on 21 April.

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.

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.

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.