Summary

Forced Migration in Ethiopia is classified in three categories: internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees in Ethiopia, and trafficking, particularly of women and young girls. Internal displacement has in turn been explained in three categories, namely conflict-induced, disaster-induced, and development-induced displacement. Conflict-induced displacement is the most prominent of these, as it has resulted in the displacement of a large number of people within a short period of time. It is also the area with the greatest concentration of humanitarian assistance, and as such has been given more coverage in this research guide.

The Ethio-Eritrean war, which erupted in May 1998, accounted for the largest number of displaced people since the current government came to power in 1991. Right after the commencement of the war, over 350,000 people were displaced from areas along the common border of the Tigray and Afar regions. An additional 95,000 Ethiopians were deported from Eritrea, and as the conflict escalated, people residing close to the borderlines and within a range of possible shelling were evacuated, increasing the total number of IDPs in the area.

Numerous organizations—government agencies, international and local NGOs, and multilaterals—were involved in responding to the needs of the displaced. For the purpose of this guide, emphasis has been given to programs and issues that have had greater coverage and are deemed more relevant. With this respect, the World Bank-funded Emergency Recovery Program (ERP), and the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Border Development Program (BDP), which are by far the largest, have been highlighted. However, a list of organizations working with IDPs and the types of assistance they provide is included in the guide to furnish researchers with added information on organizations involved in post-war rehabilitation programs. Relevant issues concerning IDPs such as the presence of landmines, HIV/AIDS, and problems of the families of deceased soldiers are also covered.

Disaster-induced displacement in Ethiopia is mainly attributed to drought and can in most cases be characterized as stress migration or temporary displacement. Drought- and famine-induced displacements are chronic problems in Ethiopia. While large-scale development-induced displacements are rare, the most common form of development-induced displacement in Ethiopia is due to road construction. Information on such forms of displacement is limited for political and other reasons.

Refugee influxes in Ethiopia are largely the result of ongoing political and civil unrest in the Horn of Africa as well as natural disasters (mostly drought) in neighbouring countries. Refugees in Ethiopia mainly consist of Somalis, Sudanese, and Eritreans. Trafficking in Ethiopia mostly takes the form of transporting migrants by fraud, deception, and different forms of coercion. Increasing levels of unemployment in the country, coupled with increased demand for cheap labor in developed countries, has resulted in an increased number of migrant workers leaving the country. Many young girls have become victims of trafficking by illegal agents who claim to have established contacts with employers, mainly in the Middle East.