Ethnic conflict displaces scores of people in Western Ethiopia

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced due to ethnic conflict in Kamashi Zone of the Benishangul Gumuz Regional State.

According to East & West Wollega Zone Disaster Preparedness Office over 148,000 people have been uprooted from their living places and temporarily settled in various public institutions, among others, including health centers, schools, and police stations in both east and west Wollega zones - in 44 IDPs sites with no sleeping facilities like blankets and mattress.

The conflict has caused loss of human lives, looting of livestock, burning of dozens of houses, and rapping as confirmed by World Vision Ethiopia assessment team to the area. Also many schools have fully or partially burnt.

The displaced people are in dire situation where there is no food particularly for children under the age of five, shelter and clean water. Outbreak of Acute Watery Diarrhea is feared due to lack of proper hygiene and sanitation.

The Oromia Regional Disaster Preparedness Bureau provided three trucks of food items (Flour, Oil & wheat) in one of the sites where over 28,000 IDPs are settled. And yet the support is far less as compared to the actual need and growing influx of internally displaced people to the temporary designated sites. In the last one week alone close to 16,000 people have arrived to the settlement areas of Nedjo site alone,

World Vision Ethiopia has already allocated US$93,000 from its National Emergency Preparedness Reserve Fund (NEPRF) and procurement of medical supplies and equipment has already started. 

 

By Aklilu Kassaye

Communication Specialist