By Dereje Berhanu
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia- The United Nations is warning that the number of refugees from Somalia and Eritrea is increasing because of instability in these countries. The number of Sudanese refugees is decreasing and refugee camps are closed.     

UNHCR Ethiopia Senior Public Relation officer, Kisut Gebre Egziabher, told SSI: “Until January 31st the number of refugees in Ethiopia was about 125,910 people registered by UNHCR living in different refugee camps. The refugees came from 13 nations; the majority of them came from Somalia and Eritrea”. There are nine refugee camps in Ethiopia, five camps for Somalis, two for Eritreans and two camps for refugees of Sudan.  
 
According to Kisut, the number of refugees coming from Somalia and Eritrea has been rising in the past few months because of instability in these countries. On the other side the number of Sudanese refugees is decreasing after South Sudan and the Khartoum government agreed upon relocating refugees to their homes.  There have been five Sudanese refugee camps in Ethiopia; starting from 2006 three of them were closed.

UNHCR established also food distribution center in the two areas Borena and Afar. “The Afar food distribution center is designated clean water and sanitation to refugees” said Kisut. 60825 Somali refugees, 37624 Eritrean refugees, 24013 Sudanese and 2713 Kenyan refugees are living in different refugee camps in Ethiopia.

Refugees, who can’t return to their homeland, have been assisted by UNHCR to resettle in third party countries. About 15 developed countries have given refugees a chance under their resettlement program; among others the USA is providing this opportunity as well”    

Last week UNHCR opened a new camp for Somalis in Ethiopia as fighting rages in
Mogadishu. the UNHCR started with the relocation of Somali refugees from a transit centre in Ethiopia’s Dolo Ado, near the border with Somalia, to a new camp at Melkadida, what is located some 65 kilometers away. The first convoy, consisting of 11 buses and two trucks carrying their luggage, transported 247 Somali refugees who had fled a harsh reality with worsening security and limited access to humanitarian aid in central and southern Somalia over the past weeks. They are part of a group of 7,000 Somalis who have been recognized recently as refugees by the Ethiopian government with the expert support of UNHCR.

Melkadida is the second camp in south-east Ethiopia and the fifth camp in Ethiopia accommodating Somali refugees. The first one, Bokolmanyo, which opened in April last year which now houses 20,000 refugees, has reached its capacity.

The land at Melkadida, on which the new camp was constructed, has been provided by the local authorities. It can accommodate up to 20,000 refugees and we and our partners are intensifying the work of expanding the basic infrastructure, including water and sanitation services, a health center, relevant basic communal facilities and a children's center. The establishment of schools, other facilities and services are also planned.

After arriving at Melkadida, the refugees spend three days at a reception area; later they are moved to their allocated plots of land. Currently, emergency tents have been erected until permanent shelters are put in place. Refugees are provided with food as well as tarpaulins, blankets, kitchen sets, jerry cans and mosquito nets. The plan is to relocate 500 refugees a week from the transit center to the new camp.