DISPLACEMENT CRISIS IN ETHIOPIA
Stories by
By:
Daniel Tesfu and Esete Kebede, CARE International in Ethiopia
PART ONE
PART ONE
“I Now
Live in a Kitchen with my Newborn”
Genet is a 22-year-old mother from Kercha, in
the south of Ethiopia, who fled the conflict with her newborn to the district
of Gedeo. “My husband was killed as a result of the conflict. Our house was also
burnt down to the ground,” Genet says in a trembling voice. “My husband was
killed, and now I am all alone. All this makes me sick. I was pregnant at the time and they were about
to kill me as well. I escaped and managed to get here with the help of others
in my community. It has been two months since I’ve fled to this area to save my
life. I had my baby 28 days ago. Lucky enough, people helped me to get to this
health post for delivery and I had a safe birth. But there are many others who
are pregnant and may not get help.’’ Genet is one of more than 800,000
displaced people now sheltered in Gedeo.
‘’Before the conflict and the displacement I
used to lead a decent life. My husband was a business man and I used to sell
food items. I ran for my life to get here, hence I don’t have any clothing for
me, let alone anything for my baby. I don’t know anyone around here which is
why I have been staying at this health post. ‘’
Genet and her less-than-a-month baby are now
living inside a kitchen in a health center. ‘’My parents live far away and my
parent in-laws were killed along with my husband and his brother. I don’t know
where I am going to go from here. The people at the health post are providing
me with food and receive for some food aid for me, but for how long is this
going to last? I don’t have cooking utensils to cook my food. Compassionate staff
of the health post have lent me cooking materials belonging to the health post.’’
Loss of Wealth, Children, and Dignity.
In the corridor of a public building in Kochore
center for internally displaced people in the southern part of Ethiopia, where
hundreds of thousands of people have recently arrived, Alemu’s family has
sought shelter. The building is crowded with people. There is a strong smell
and it feels suffocating inside. Sadness and despair are apparent on the faces
of people. Among the sad faces, Alemu wanted to share his story.
Half
of Alemu’s family fled the conflict in Kercha, Ethiopia, to a center for
internally displaced people. “Five of my children came with me and my wife and seven
of them are living in the conflict zone.” While fleeing, Alemu, 53, and his
wife were separated from the rest of their dozen children.
On
their way out, Alemu gave all the money he had saved, equivalent to US$ 1940,
to his wife, thinking that the people wouldn’t touch her because she is a woman.
“They beat me, they beat my wife, and our 12 children. They stole our money,
and other belongings we had with us,” says Alemu. “During this incident I was
separated from seven of my children. The remaining five, my wife and I continued
our journey leaving the rest behind.” Alemu does not know anything about his
seven lost children. “I don’t have any information on how they are doing,”
laments Alemu. “I don’t even know if they are alive or not. All I know is that
they have been left behind.”
Back
home, Alemu had farm lands and ample livestock which the family lived off. “We
lived a stable life, but we came here empty handed,” says Alemu. “We had beds,
mattresses, and warm blankets. Now we sleep on the bare, cold floor. I am old
now and my body is withering fast. I lost my children, wealth, my pride and
dignity along the way. All of my children were attending school. Now they are
all out of school because of the conflict.”
Due
to the limited resources of humanitarian organizations and the significant
funding gaps, displaced people are provided with very little food. “I used to
feed my children good food; including milk and butter from livestock. Now my
children are struggling to survive with little, or sometimes no food,” says
Alemu. “All what we’re provided with most days is corn flour. Sometimes we cannot
even cook it, so we go to sleep without eating a single meal. Our conditions are
deteriorating.”
Like
in many crisis situations, older men like Alemu and women like his wife cannot
crowd for food like stronger, younger people could. “I am not able to rush when
food aid is coming, when I do I get pushed around by others. We need to be assisted
in a proper way.’’
Due
to a similar incident a few months ago the entire family fled and returned home
but had to flee again as the situation was still unstable so they had to go
back to the displacement camp, this time the family is separated. “We want
things to be resolved once and for all,” stresses Alemu.
‘’Most days we sleep
without eating at all”
‘’My name
is Alato. In our village I worked and raised my children. My family is
separated as I could only take four of my children. The other five are still there
with my wife. I fled to this area to save our lives as a result of the ongoing conflict.
My wife, with the other children, chose to stay with a relative whose house was
not burnt. I lost everything; all my livestock, my crops and the house have
been destroyed because of the conflict. Before coming here, I used to grow corn,
coffee, and ensete* on my land. But it is all gone now.
“Our life now is very difficult. This is not a
situation human beings are not supposed to live in. We are here just to survive.
With the little support we are receiving, we are able to sustain our lives thus
far. We sleep on the floor. We do not
have anything, hardly any clothing or blankets. We only have what we were
wearing when we fled.
We are
receiving some food from government and aid agencies, but it is not enough.
Most days we sleep without eating a single meal. I am worried about my
children’s health. The situation is very sad, this is not a place to live in. If
safety improved and peace restored at home, I want to return and reunite with
my family.’’
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