More must be done to support the people and government of Ethiopia, generously hosting more than 600,000 refugees

(Addis Ababa, 25 November 2014): At the end of a four-day mission, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Ms. Kyung-wha Kang said that the plight of South Sudanese refugees requires continued international attention.

“Nearly 194,000 South Sudanese refugees have arrived in Ethiopia since the conflict there began last December. Ninety per cent of the arrivals are women and children,” said ASG Kang. “Without a political solution, and with more fighting and major food security challenges in South Sudan, that number could rise to 350,000 by the end of the first quarter of 2015.”

“On Saturday, I travelled to Gambella region in western Ethiopia, where I met refugees from South Sudan in Tierkidi camp. They told me that they want to go home and they want peace for their children,” noted Ms. Kang. “I am impressed by the collaborative efforts of the Government body ARRA – the Agency for Refugee and Returnee Affairs, the UN Refugee Agency and humanitarian partners. Ethiopia hosts more than 600,000 refugees, the largest refugee population in Africa.”

ASG Kang noted that while the South Sudanese refugee crisis in western Ethiopia is the newest emergency in the country, the plight of Eritrean and Somali refugees must also be kept on the radar. Current funding is not enough to ensure that all the refugees receive humanitarian assistance and services.

“I thank the people and Government of Ethiopia for their generosity in welcoming refugees from neighbouring countries and for their tireless efforts to respond to people’s needs,” said Kyung-wha Kang. “But much more financial resources are needed. I urge the international community to match the generosity of Ethiopian and other countries hosting South Sudanese refugees with funds needed to support the South Sudan refugee appeal. ”

During her visit, she also spent two days in Addis Ababa meeting members of the Ethiopia Humanitarian Country Team and NGO representatives. Ms. Kang met with Mr. Mitiku Kassa, the State Minister of Agriculture, and discussed the need to increase longer term development and invest in community resilience to reduce chronic humanitarian needs.

At the briefing of the African Union Peace and Security Council on 25 November 2015, Ms. Kang urged the Council to put more pressure on the South Sudanese warring parties to accelerate the materialization of the peace agreements, secure humanitarian access and guarantee the protection of aid workers.

Ms. Kang met the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission and Principals of the Inter-Governmental Authority for Development (IGAD) and discussed humanitarian challenges facing the Horn of Africa. IGAD appreciated OCHA’s coordination role in support of the scale up of the response to the crisis triggered by the year-long conflict in South Sudan. IGAD and OCHA signed a Memorandum of Understanding in March this year with a view to strengthening their collaboration in disaster preparedness, coordination of humanitarian assistance, and advocacy for the protection of civilians affected by conflict and natural disasters throughout the region.