Horn of Africa - OCHA: 31-Mar-03
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Horn of Africa
period: March 2003
28 April 2003
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
|--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------|
| | | IDPs | |REFUGEES| | TOTAL | |
| | | | | | |AFFECTED| |
| | | | | | |POPULATI| |
| | | | | | | ON | |
|--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------|
|COUNTRY | July |Mar.2003| July |Mar.2003| July |Mar.2003|CHANGES |
| | 2002 | | 2002 | | 2002 | | % |
| | | | | | | | (In |
| | | | | | | |figures)|
|--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------|
|DJIBOUTI| N/A | 34,550 | 35,605 | 34,787 | 35,605 | 69,337 | +94.7% |
| | | | | | | |(+33732)|
|--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------|
|ERITREA | 57,596 | 58,180 | 2,919 | 3,572 | 60,515 | 61,752 | +2.0% |
| | | | | | | | (+1237)|
|--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------|
|ETHIOPIA|182,320 |188,320 |136,491 |133,486 |318,811 |321,806 | +0.9% |
| | | | | | | | (+2995)|
|--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------|
|KENYA |250,000 |340,000 |226,281 |219,629 |476,281 |559,629 | +17.5% |
| | | | | | | |(+83348)|
|--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------|
|SOMALIA |268,470 |268,470 | N/A | N/A |268,470 |268,470 | 0% |
| | | | | | | | (0) |
|--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------|
|SUDAN | 4317720| 4968412| 300000 | 328176 | 4617720| 5296588| +14.7% |
| | | | | | | |(+67886*|
| | | | | | | | ) |
|--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------|
| TOTAL | 5076106| 5857932| 701296 | 719650 | 5777402| 6577582| +13.9% |
| | up to | up to | | | up to | up to |(+800180|
| | 5428106| 6228402| | | 6129402| 6948052| ) |
|--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------|
Notes
- Djibouti - 13,451 Asylum seekers in Djibouti Ville are included under
refugees
- Somali - IDP figures could be as high as 370,470.
|--------+---------------------------------------------+------------|
| | | OTHER |
| | | VULNERABLE |
| | | GROUPS |
|--------+---------------------------------------------+------------|
|DJIBOUTI| Drought affected general population; | 65730 |
| | HIV/AIDS victims; orphans including AIDS | |
| | orphans; childrenliving in prison; | |
| | street children. | |
|--------+---------------------------------------------+------------|
|ERITREA | Soldiers for demobilization; Returning | 2203380 |
| | IDPs; Returning refugees; Drought | |
| | affected; Host families; Urban vulnerable; | |
| | HIV/AIDS; expellees in camps; | |
|--------+---------------------------------------------+------------|
|ETHIOPIA|Political detainees; Drought affected; | 14904800 |
| | HIV/AIDS; HIV/AIDS Orphans; Street children | |
|--------+---------------------------------------------+------------|
|KENYA | Food insecure; HIV/AIDS; HIV/AIDS orphans; | 10050000 |
| | street children; Malaria risk | |
|--------+---------------------------------------------+------------|
|SOMALIA | Destitute pastoralists, vulnerable urban | 871272 |
| | and rural poor; returnees | - 971272 |
|--------+---------------------------------------------+------------|
|SUDAN | HIV/AIDS; HIV/AIDS orphans; food insecure; | 3901912 |
| | demobilized soldiers | |
|--------+---------------------------------------------+------------|
| | Total | 31997094 |
| | | (Up to |
| | | 32097094) |
|--------+---------------------------------------------+------------|
REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
The information presented in this document represents best estimates of
the number of displaced, refugees and vulnerable populations throughout
the Greater Horn of Africa Region. Sources of the information contained
in this document include UN agencies, NGOs, the Red Cross family, central
governments and local authorities. Internally displaced people include
those who have been forced to move out of their habitual residences and
who are living dispersed in the rural environment, with host families or
in other sites. The information is organised by country, location,
category and national origin.
The chronic drought in the Horn of Africa over the last two decades has
revisited the region, beginning mid 2002. The resulting food shortages in
the region are peaking in the first five months of 2003, leaving millions
of people exposed to hunger, starvation, malnutrition and possible death,
some of which have already occurred in some parts of Eritrea. The effect
of the drought is far much pronounced in Eritrea, where 70% of the
country's 3.9 million people stare starvation in the face. Response to
pleas for help in Ethiopia has been comparatively favourable, with half of
the 1.44 million MT of food required forestall a humanitarian disaster in
2003 sourced. The general situation, particularly in Eritrea, however,
remain dire and in urgent need of immediate and concerted domestic and
international attention.
The Eritrea Ethiopia Peace process is on the brink of perhaps the most
significant phase-the physical demarcation of the two countries' 1000 km.
long common border. Originally scheduled to begin in June 2003, or even
earlier, the Eritrea Ethiopia Border Commission (EEBC) ruling will now be
practically implemented beginning July 2003. In preparation for the
demarcation and the consequent transfer of territory as well as
potentially, populations, the United Nations has continued to strengthen
its presence in the area, with the appointment of the second Deputy
Special representative of the Secretary General assuming her position in
Asmara in early 2003. Additionally, the Security Council has renewed the
mandate of the UN Peace-keeping force UNMEE and bolstered its mandate to
include assistance with demining activities along the border. The
Temporary Security Zone (TSZ) has remained largely calm and stable,
excepting isolated cases of confrontation between the peacekeepers and
armed Ethiopian militiamen and pastoralists encroaching into the area in
search of water and pasture.
International attempts to bring peace to the long war-tormented Sudan and
Somalia have made significant progress during the reporting period.
Following the resumption of talks between the Sudan government and SPLA
rebels, a number of agreements have been reached between the two sides,
including the historic Machakos Protocol, a framework that provides for a
six year transition period and transitional government of National Unity.
The parties also agreed on six-months renewable cessation of hostilities
and the expansion of humanitarian space in some parts of the country.
However, talks on contested middle areas are yet to yield consensus and
the government as well as rebels continue impeded humanitarian access to
millions of people. In Somalia, the Inter-Governmental Authority on
Development (IGAD)-sponsored talks have continued in Kenya, first in
Eldoret and later in Nairobi. However, despite an agreement between the
sides on a cessation of hostilities in late 2002, fighting has continued
in Somalia, leading to dozens of deaths. Many parts of Somalia remain
beyond the reach of humanitarian organizations seeking to bring help to
millions of people.
The numbers of affected populations in the region has risen during the
reporting period in comparison to August 2002 from 5,777,402 to 6,577,582.
Part of the reason for this turn of events has been the continuation of
conflict amidst the search for peace in both Sudan and Somalia, as well as
the emergence of tensions between certain countries of the region. In
October 2002, Sudan closed its common border with Eritrea following the
Khartoums' accusations that Eritrea had supported rebels take key towns in
the east of the country. The decision to close the border has left 92,000
Eritrean refugees stranded in Sudan, following the suspension of a UNHCR
repatriation exercise.
In the lead to the physical demarcation of the Eritrea-Ethiopia border,
exchanges between the two sides over the fate of Badme, the border town,
that was the flashpoint of their 1988-2000 war have been on the rise,
further casting doubt over the timing of the resettlement and
reintegration of hundreds of thousands of people. Ethiopia appears to be
contesting the April 12th 2002 EEBC Border ruling on Badme, which the
Commission had initially left vague but now says rightfully belongs to
Eritrea. The humanitarian concern revolves around the sustainable and
long-term recovery of both countries from both the war and the current
drought. This will require the return of IDPs as well the demobilization
of hundreds of thousands of soldiers in both countries, to free much
needed labour for improved agricultural production.
The drought affecting in excess of 17 million people in Ethiopia and
Eritrea, and that appears set to spread to regions of Somalia, demands a
simultaneous emergency as well as long term development approach if its
chronic character is to be broken. Land tenure and agricultural credit
schemes in Ethiopia as well as the National Service policy in Eritrea may
have to be reviewed if the situation is to be improved in the long term.
Kenya chose a new government following elections in December 2002. The
transfer of power was peaceful, as were the elections themselves. The new
government has embarked on a cautious clean-up effort, emphasizing
continuity and change but declaring total war on corruption and
introducing compulsory, universal and free primary education. The
country's foreign policy with respect to the search for peace in Sudan and
Somalia has been continued by the new administration, whose leader, Mwai
Kibaki, hosted only the second meeting between Sudan's president Omar
Bashir and SPLA/M leader Johns Garang in Nairobi in early April.
Somaliland, the semi-autonomous and self-declared republic in Somalia, is
holding presidential elections in Mid-April to elect a new president.
Puntland, the other self-declared republic, is warning that the elections
will not be allowed in Sol and Sanaag, two regions being contested by the
two sides. Long-delayed elections in Eritrea will only be held after the
completion of the peace process, particularly the demarcation of the
country's common border with Ethiopia, which begin in July 2003.
The Horn of Africa remains a patchwork of isolated stability amidst a sea
of instability. Fighting has continued in both Somalia and Sudan and the
Eritrea and Ethiopia peace process, although progressing steadily, is in
constant need of vigilance. Hunger continues to stalk the region, with in
excess of 17 million people affected. Similar crises in Southern Africa,
as well as the conflict in Iraq, have been of major concern to the
humanitarian community regarding adequate and timely response to the
region's plight. However, the UNSG's 'Africa Crisis' approach has served
to ameliorate concerns of neglect of certain regions and the conflict in
Iraq appears to have ended sufficiently quickly as not to be of continued
concern.
The key humanitarian challenges in the region therefore are to ensure that
humanitarian assistance is delivered to the starvation threatened people
of Eritrea and Ethiopia, even as long-term solutions are sought for the
chronic character of food insecurity in the region. The successful
conclusion of the Ethiopia-Eritrea peace process is of critical importance
in this regard, but also in order to restore sustainable peace and
security in the area that will allow for long-term planning and
resettlement for displaced populations as well as the demobilization of
hundreds of thousands of soldiers. Humanitarian work in support of peace
in Somalia has continued despite the hazardous and dangerous conditions
the unpredictable environment imposes on humanitarian workers. These
efforts, as well as those in equally difficult Sudan, require
consolidation and successful conclusion of the IGAD-sponsored peace
processes for the two countries and will herald favourable working
environments, when they come.
DJIBOUTI
Est. Total Population: 632,000
AFFECTED POPULATION
|----------------+---------+---------------------------------------|
| LOCATION | FIGURES | COMMENTS |
|----------------+---------+---------------------------------------|
| Holl-Holl | 9,642 | Refugees |
|----------------+---------+---------------------------------------|
| Ali Adde | 11,674 | Refugees |
|----------------+---------+---------------------------------------|
| Sub-total | 21,316 | Excludes Asylum seekers |
| Refugees | | |
|----------------+---------+---------------------------------------|
| Drought IDPs | 34,550 | Drought displaced IDPs in various |
| | | urban centres of the country. Require |
| | | food assistance. |
|----------------+---------+---------------------------------------|
| Sub-total IDPs | 34,550 | |
|----------------+---------+---------------------------------------|
| Total Affected | 55,886 | |
| Population | | |
|----------------+---------+---------------------------------------|
Refugee figures provided by UNHCR (as of December 2002), IDPs figures
provided by WFP (as of 11/03/2003)
|----------------+-----------|
| | ORIGIN OF |
| | REFUGEES |
|----------------+-----------|
| Somalia | 20,182 |
|----------------+-----------|
| Ethiopia | 1,128 |
|----------------+-----------|
| Others | 6 |
|----------------+-----------|
| Urban Refugees | 20 |
|----------------+-----------|
| Asylum Seekers | 13,451 |
|----------------+-----------|
| Total | 34,787 |
|----------------+-----------|
|---------------------+-----------------------------------------|
| | OTHER VULNERABLE GROUPS IN DJIBOUTI |
|---------------------+-----------------------------------------|
| Drought affected | 95,900 people divided as follows: |
| general population | - District of Djibouti: 22,000; |
| | - District of Ali-Sabieh: 15,750; |
| | - District of Dikhil: 23,350; |
| | - District of Obock: 13,550; |
| | - District of Tadjourah: 21,250 |
|---------------------+-----------------------------------------|
| Orphans, including | 1250 (WFP Beneficiaries): 250 patients, |
| AIDS orphans | 1000 (orphans and foster families) |
|---------------------+-----------------------------------------|
| HIV/AIDS | 3,000 |
|---------------------+-----------------------------------------|
| Children living in | 10 (UNICEF) |
| prison | |
|---------------------+-----------------------------------------|
| Approximate number | 120 Children assisted by WFP |
| of street childre | |
|---------------------+-----------------------------------------|
| TOTAL | 65,730 (1) |
|---------------------+-----------------------------------------|
* These are not included in the refugee figures above.
Political and Human Rights Progress
Djibouti adopted a multi-party democracy as the political system in the
country on September 4th 2002, coinciding with the occasion of the 10th
Anniversary of the promulgation of the country's current constitution.
Djibouti was until then a one-party state since 1977 when it gained
independence from France. In 1992 however, a law was passed allowing the
registration of three more parties. Now, all parties are recognized,
subject to approval by the interior ministry.
The country held legislative elections on the 10th of January 2003, the
first under a fully-fledged multi party framework. Significant as well
was the level of participation of female candidates (minimum of 10%) and
the election of women to the country's parliament for the first time since
independence. The creation of the National Independent Electoral
Commission (CENI) marked another important milestone in the country's
politics. The CENI was charged with the organization and control of the
election process in order to assure transparency. The UMP (Union pour la
Majority Presidentielle) won the election in all the districts, garnering
62.2% in the country's five districts. The country's constitution provides
that the party winning the majority in a constituency is awarded all the
assembly seats. This provision ensured that UMP won all the 65 parliament
seats on offer.
The opposition Union pour une Alternance Démocratique (UAD) took 44.9
percent of the votes, and the UMP 55 percent in the capital,
Djibouti-Ville. For the first time since the country's independence seven
women were elected to the country's parliament. The opposition protested
the vote alleging fraud and registered its intention to appeal the results
in the country's constitutional court.
In the aftermath of September 11th 2001, the subsequent war against terror
has brought the country new prominence as the regional headquarters of the
US led coalition against terror. There are circa 3200 American military
forces based in the country; 800 in Djibouti land, the rest on vessels in
the near by territorial waters. Additionally, there are 800 Spanish forces
and 45 Germans troops in the coalition based in the country. These troops
joined French forces in the country prior to the arrival of the US
contingent.
President Omar Guelleh made his first visit to the United States in
January 2003 since becoming the country's president in 1999. The US
government has thanked the country for its support in the war on terror
and promised to open a USAID office Djibouti-Ville in the near future.
In 2002, the government embarked on the evaluation of performances of the
country's treaty obligations with the view to implementing its obligations
as a state party to international treaties, particularly with regard to
the International Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Millennium
Development Goals.
Humanitarian and Food Security Situation
The current drought plaguing the region, with more severe consequences for
Ethiopia and Eritrea, has led to population movement in search of water
and pasture across the country. On 25th January 2003, a group of
pastoralists from Shinile (Aiashi Region of Ethiopia) settled temporarily
in Djibouti on their way to Somaliland. WFP provided assistance for those
who were too weak to continue their migration towards Somaliland,
supplying 12 tonnes of cereal and 6 tonnes of dates. UNHCR provided 150
blankets. The health and nutritional situation of the people arriving in
the Ali Sabbieh and Dikhil border districts was certified generally good.
Djibouti itself, a chronic food deficit country, requires 13,000 metric
tons of food annually from the international community to meet food
shortfalls. According to UNICEF, 33% of Djibouti's children suffer from
chronic or acute malnutrition during a normal non-drought year. Infant and
maternal mortality is also excessively high. Approximately one in ten
infants (117 out of 1,000 births) die at birth and nearly two in ten (157
per 1,000 children) die before age five due to poor nutrition and lack of
pre-natal care
A Government-inter-agency rapid needs assessment mission visited all
Djibouti districts in January 2003, to assess the condition of the
drought-affected population and vulnerable groups. The mission recommended
the continuation of humanitarian assistance to a reduced number of the
nomadic population affected by five consecutive years of drought.
Effective July 2003, WFP will continue providing food assistance to about
50,000 people, as opposed to a current caseload of 96,000 people. USAID
announced in January 2003 that it will provide 4000 MT of food aid (valued
at US$2 million) to Djibouti effective April 2003 to help feed the circa
96,000 drought affected population in the country.
WFP reported that from 19-21 January, an inter-agency Joint Food Needs
Assessment Mission (JFAM), including WFP, UNHCR, Government officials and
donors, was conducted in the two refugee camps of Holl-Holl and Ali-Adde.
The JFAM reviewed the implementation of the PRRO 10134 for refugees in
Djibouti, assessed the impact of food assistance on the refugees and
reviewed the necessity of continuing the selective feeding programmes and
take-home ration for schoolgirls. The JFAM also reviewed the progress made
on the repatriation process that was temporarily suspended in November
2002. The objective of the mission was to have a better understanding of
the needs of the refugees and could lead to an extension of the current
operation beginning in September 2003. It is estimated that a residual
caseload of about 18,000 refugees, would remain in the camps after the
second repatriation phase is completed in December 2003.
During January 2003, WFP delivered 344 tons of food to 20,500 refugees
living in Holl Holl and Ali Addeh camps. Additional distributions were
made through selective feeding programmes to 1,000 vulnerable people and
120 undernourished children in the camps and vegetable oil was distributed
to schoolgirls as take-home rations to encourage school attendance. WFP
also distributed over 975 tons of food to 74,600 beneficiaries, mainly
drought-affected people, in January 2003.
Economic and Poverty Conditions
The European Commission and the government signed a €34.8 million Country
Strategy Paper (CSP) and an Indicative Programme in late 2002 outlining
their co-operation programme for the next five years (2002 - 2007). The
non-repayable funds will be used on development projects and assistance in
order to support government's efforts to reduce poverty through
sustainable economic and social development and to implement the peace
agreement. Following consultations between the government an the EU office
in Djibouti, E5.8 million of the funds are stand-by allocations while the
difference, about E29 million is meant for poverty alleviation projects
and programmes, including budgetary aid for macro-economic reforms and the
implementation of the peace agreement provisions, including institutional
building and strengthening, as envisaged in the Country Strategy paper.
This allocation, categorized as Envelop A, is as follows; Water and
Sanitation-45% (E13 million), Micro Finance-44% (E12.8 million), Others,
E3.2 million.
The government and its development partners hope to finalize the country's
PRSP draft in March 2003. Among the major development projects envisaged
in the development agenda is the promotion of the port of Djibouti as a
regional infrastructure hub, with a new port located in Doraleh. This port
is designed to international standards and requirements and will include
oil traffic facilities as well as commercial and service free zone areas.
Joint UN-government efforts have been made in to collect social indicators
in the country for the past two years. According to a survey EDAM-II (2)
(completed in 2002, the relative and extreme poverty incidence has
increased from 45.1% to 74% and from 9.6% to 42.1% during the period 1996
to 2002. among several surveys carried out are EDAM II- which had the
objective to update social indicators from the EDAM-I (1996) survey and to
refine the coefficients utilized in the estimation of the index of
consumers' prices.
Health
The government collaborated with UN agencies in the PAPFAM (3) survey
(within the framework of an Arab League project, co-financed by the UNFPA,
AGFUND, UNICEF, WHO and other donors) with the objective of providing
indicators on the population's reproductive health. Demographically, this
survey would allow the establishment of indicators required for population
monitoring policies such as birth and mortality rate. An HIV/AIDS
incidence survey has also been carried out.
The government adopted two important strategies in 2002: the National
Strategy for the empowerment of the Djiboutian women (SNIFD) and the
National Strategy against HIV/AIDS. In April 2002, the minister of health
undertook a survey on HIV prevalence. The survey highlighted a prevalence
of 2.9% (with 2.5% for men and 3.3% for women). The survey has also shown
that the prevalence of HIV infection for youth aged between 20 and 35 is
estimated at 5%. Approximately 8,500 new cases of STI are reported every
year by the health services but it is estimated that the number of cases
per year is closer to 25,000. Similarly, it is estimated that more than
half of the positively diagnosed HIV/AIDS cases remain unreported to the
National Programme for the Fight against AIDS.
Female Genital Mutilation practices continue to be of concern in the
country. Although no recent figures are available, it is believed that it
is on the rise. According to a 1997 survey, nine out of ten girls were
being subjected to the practice. A report published in 1998 indicated that
over 99% of girls aged between seven and eight years suffered from
excisions and or infibulations. And although the government adopted a law
prohibiting FGM in 1995, implementation has been slow and the law is
rarely applied. The first ever conviction for the offense as envisaged
under the law came in January 2002.
Repatriation of Refugees
Djibouti hosts a total number of 21,316 refugees: 20,182 Somalis, 1,128
Ethiopians and 6 Eritrians. 9,642 of these reside in camps in Holl-Holl
and 11,674 in Ali Adde. There are an additional 20 urban-UNHCR mandate
refugees. 13,451 asylum seekers are awaiting status determination in
Djibouti Ville. The history of these refugees date back from 1977/8 during
the Ogaden war and in 1991 following the downfall of the Dergh, Mengistu's
regime. Similarly, the civil war in northern Somalia and the collapse of
the Siad Barre regime in 1991/2 resulting in violent tribal conflict
caused a second influx. More recently the border war between Eritrea and
Ethiopia in 1998-2000 has induced an exodus of Ethiopian Afars into Obock
in northern Djibouti.
Since 2000, UNHCR has been repatriating Ethiopian and Somali refugees to
their habitual country of origin. Ironically, repatriation to their place
of "origin" in the context of Djibouti which shares traditional clan
territories of Afars and Issas of neighboring countries becomes relatively
irrelevant and after decades of camp life many have re-established
livelihoods and integrated into the host environment and local economies,
straining the already weak socio-economic fabric of the country.
Nonetheless, in light of the relative political stability in Somaliland
creating a conducive environment for a safe return, UNHCR registered in
late 2001, 15,000 refugees for voluntary repatriation to Somaliland to be
completed over a period of two years. From mid July to end October 2002,
over 2,100 Somali refugees from Holl-Holl camp were repatriated to various
destinations in Somaliland under the joint WFP/UNHCR repatriation
programme. The repatriation programme was suspended in November 2002
during the month of Ramadan. The returnees are provided with non-food
items such as jerry cans, blankets, plastic sheets and kitchen sets and 9
months of food ration to facilitate their re-integration.
Education
Djibouti has been earmarked as one of 25 African countries to benefit from
the UNICEF "25 by 2005" campaign to eliminate gender disparities in
primary and secondary education, an initiative launched in December 2002.
The UNICEF initiative is part of the Agency's strategies to meeting the
Millennium Development Goals of attaining gender parity in primarily and
secondary education by 2005. According to EDAM II, the illiteracy rate in
the country stands at 71%. The country's primary net enrolment rate stands
at 43.2% (6-12 year olds) while the secondary net enrolment rate is 23.5%
(13-19 year olds) with girls represented to the tune of only 19.2% and
boys 27.6%.
OCHA Regional Support Office for Central and East Africa
P.O. Box 30218
Nairobi, Kenya
Telephone: +254 2 622 166
Fax: +254 2 622 632
Footnotes:
(1) This figure is 100,280. However, 34,550 of the drought affected are
also drought displaced and have therefore been categorized as IDPs.
(2) Enquête Djiboutienne Auprès des Ménages. The survey EDAM-II follows a
first social survey implemented in 1996 (EDAM-IS). The survey is currently
examined at national level and figures will then be adopted by the
government
(3) Enquête Démographique et de Santé (Pan Arab Projet for Family Health).
The survey is currently examined at national level and figures will then
be adopted by the government.
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