Addis Ababa, October 19, 2021 (FBC) – Agency for Refugees and Returnees Affairs (ARRAP Director General, Tesfahune Gobezay, UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner – Operations, Raouf Mazou, UNHCR Acting Regional Representative, Charles Mballa and UNHCR Ethiopia Country Rep, Mamadou Dian Balde had a field visit on aid operations being delivered to refugees and IDPs in Dabat and Debark on 19 October 2021.
The delegates were welcomed by the Northern Gondar Zonal Administrator, Yalelem Fantahun and his team in Dabark and briefed on the overall situation of refugees and IDPs in the northern Gondar Zone.
During the meeting it has been stated that the number of IPDs reached more than 128,00 and recently around 377,000 people received food assistance through FHE with the support of WFP.
The Zonal Administrator underlined that most of the IDPs are sheltered in schools and are facing challenges as school opening time is approaching. Therefore those IDPs are in need of shelter and it is their top priority right now. Then the team visited one of the IDP’s centers called Millennium.
Some of the representatives of the IDPs were reflected to the guests that they left behind all their livestock and their farm lands so as to save their lives.
The next destination for the delegates was the newly established refugee camp, Alem-Wach. There, they had been briefed by ARRA and partners representatives about the overall development of the camp. In the due course, the chief of the Kebele welcomed the guests with affirmation to the guests about the hosts commitment to keep their promise to welcome the refugees with great hospitality.
The team had time to visit the refugees, who are at Dabat town in one of the public infrastructures called Menfesawi. There were also discussions with some of the refugees’ representatives in which they repeatedly voiced their concerns about their family and fellows, who are under detainees of the TPLF militants. They urge UNHCR to take care of them, as it is only UNHCR that is present in the operation in areas where Eritrean refugees are detained by TPLF.
Finally, after being served for lunch, the delegates were presented with gifts from the Zonal Administration and youths to make their visit memorable.