UNHCR suspends operation in Ethiopia’s Gambella

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has suspended its operations in the Western part of Ethiopia, Gambella region due to insecurity.

“Due to recent security incidents in Gambella which resulted in some civilian fatalities, including refugees and a humanitarian worker, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has suspended missions to all the refugee camps since Monday 29 April as per the recommendation of the United Nations Department of Safety and Security. Due to the movement restrictions, only limited humanitarian assistance is being provided in the camps by a skeletal humanitarian staff and via existing community structures,” the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in its bi-weekly operational update recently released.

 However, the update released by UNHCR didn’t provide any details of the security incidents. But the sub-clan conflicts have been reported in Gambella in the last few months. With an intention to resolve the issue, a mass awareness campaign was raised by Plan International on peaceful coexistence in Kule Refugee Camp in Gambella, the place is known for the home of more than 55,000 South Sudanese refugees.

In the past few days, clashes between different communities have also led to the death of several people and displacement of many in Benishangul Gumz Region, which is neighbouring to Gambella, Amhara and Oromia regions of Ethiopia, as reported by New Business Ethiopia.

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