Geneva, 13 December 2019 – Around 425,000 people are estimated to be living in internal displacement in Ethiopia as a result of drought. Children and youth make up half of this figure. As the Ethiopian Government launches a new initiative to find lasting solutions to displacement in the region, a new report calls for more investment in local capacity and resilience.

Conflict over resources and ethnic violence triggered more displacement in Ethiopia than any other country in the world in 2018, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). More than one million people are still uprooted from their homes. A further 425,000 people have been displaced by drought that occurred between 2015 and 2017. New IDMC research, launched today in Geneva, looks at the Somali region of eastern Ethiopia, where pastoralists lost up to 80 per cent of their livestock and many still live in camps reliant on aid up to four years later. 

“Despite the scale and duration of displacement associated with drought in Ethiopia, it has been overshadowed by the recent fighting and become a ‘forgotten crisis’. Pastoralists told us “We have no hope for the future.” Many of these people have nowhere to return to, so alternative solutions must be found,” said Pablo Ferrández, IDMC researcher and the report's author.

The report findings show that displacement triggered by drought in Ethiopia is a protracted but short-range issue, and that those displaced prefer to integrate in their new locations rather than to return home. More than 200 displacement sites that have existed since or before 2017 are still open today. Around 70 per cent of those interviewed did not travel far from their place of origin. IDMC researchers spoke to pastoralists who rely on livestock to make a living, moving around to find grazing land and water. Since they lost their animals in the drought, respondents said that they have no reason to return.    

The Ethiopia Durable Solutions Initiative (DSI); a joint endeavour between the government of Ethiopia, the UN, non-governmental organisations and donors, was launched in Addis Ababa last week. Its aim is to facilitate cooperation and collective action on the issue of internal displacement. Strategies proposed by the DSI involve shifting the approach from short-term humanitarian crisis management to long-term development and planning for future risks. 

“The testimonies of the 219 Ethiopians IDMC spoke to all point to the need for investing in local capacity, supporting livelihoods and building resilience – and the new Durable Solutions Initiative aims to do just that. 

“We commend the Ethiopian Government for the taking the lead in investing in long-term, lasting solutions for displaced people and we are proud to be a partner on this crucial issue,” said Bina Desai, IDMC’s head of policy and research.  

NOTES TO EDITORS:

The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) is the world's authoritative source of data and analysis on internal displacement. Since its establishment in 1998, as part of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), IDMC has offered a rigorous, independent and trusted service to the international community. Our work informs policy and operational decisions that improve the lives of the millions of people living in internal displacement, or at risk of becoming displaced in the future.

Download the report here: “Nothing to put in your mouth”: Seeking durable solutions to drought displacement in Ethiopia here. 
Watch a short video of the research findings here. 

For interviews please contact:
Frankie Parrish, IDMC
Email: frankie.parrish@idmc.ch  
Office: + 41 22 552 36 45
Mobile: +41 78 630 16 78

Follow IDMC on social media:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/InternalDisplacement   
Twitter: @IDMC_Geneva

Geneva, 6 December 2019 – Nearly 17 million people were living in a situation of displacement within their own countries in Africa by the end of 2018. This is the highest figure ever recorded for the continent, and around 40 per cent of the global total. As the African Union (AU) marks the tenth anniversary of the Kampala Convention, the world’s first legally binding regional treaty on internal displacement, a new report launched today shows that the scale of displacement is likely to continue unabated.

Africa has consistently experienced more displacement associated with conflict and violence than any other region in the world over the past decade, and annual average figures have increased sharply. The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) recorded more than 7.5 million new displacements triggered by conflict and violence in 2018 alone. 

Disasters, such as floods, storms and drought, triggered a further 2.6 million new displacements during the year, and more than 21 million over the decade. Though the figures for disasters have remained steady (with the exception of 2012 which experienced significant floods), events in 2019 thus far suggest that the scale of internal displacement in Africa is not likely to diminish. 

“The African Union declared 2019 the year of refugees, returnees and internally displaced people to mark the tenth anniversary of the Kampala Convention. While there have been some promising developments throughout the year, such as Ethiopia, Niger and Somalia adopting laws and policies on internal displacement, the overall rise in displacement across Africa this past decade shows that measures to establish peace and improve security, reduce disaster risk, or adapt to the effects of climate change have not been sufficient,” said Alexandra Bilak, Director of IDMC.

Africa is home to some of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, many of which are under-reported and under-funded. Conflict in Cameroon’s anglophone regions in 2018 triggered 20 times more displacement than the Boko Haram insurgency. 

The region is undergoing rapid and unplanned urbanisation, which has exposed a greater number of people to displacement risk. Climate change is also making natural hazards more intense and less predictable. These factors combine to drive a high level of displacement risk in the region. 

Cyclones Idai and Kenneth struck southern Africa in March and April 2019, causing widespread damage and displacing over 600,000 people. One of the reasons the powerful storms had such a devastating impact is because they hit poor and vulnerable areas already affected by Southern Africa’s extended drought. Cyclone Idai also barrelled over the coastal city of Beira, home to half a million people.  

“The Kampala Convention provides a solid basis for action and this anniversary offers an opportunity to catalyse change. Internal displacement presents a major obstacle for achieving peace, prosperity, growth and sustainable development. Greater political will to develop and implement policies and long-term social and economic investments will be essential. It’s time to turn words into action,” said Alexandra Bilak. 

NOTES TO EDITORS

About IDMC:

The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) is the world's authoritative source of data and analysis on internal displacement. Since its establishment in 1998, as part of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), IDMC has offered a rigorous, independent and trusted service to the international community. Our work informs policy and operational decisions that improve the lives of the millions of people living in internal displacement, or at risk of becoming displaced in the future.  

Reports:

View and download the Africa Report on Internal Displacement 2019 here. 

Included in the report in the first estimates of the economic impact of internal displacement on sub-Saharan Africa, at the region and national levels. Find more information this is press release: Internal displacement costs Africa $4 billion every year

For interviews please contact:  

Frankie Parrish, IDMC  
Email: frankie.parrish@idmc.ch      
Office: + 41 22 552 36 45  
Mobile: +41 78 630 16 78 

Follow IDMC on social media:  

Facebook: www.facebook.com/InternalDisplacement  
Twitter: @IDMC_Geneva