Addis Ababa, May 8, 2020 (FBC) – The number of internally displaced people (IDPs) in East Africa and the Horn of Africa has dropped considerably in the past six months, IOM reported.
A new report from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) says the reason is largely due to one development: 1.3 million Ethiopians displaced by communal violence in 2019 went home.
Moreover, another 200,000 former IDPs were able to return to their homes in South Sudan and other countries.
At the midpoint of 2019 [WA1] [WA2], the East and Horn of Africa region was home to 8.1 million IDPs and 3.5 million refugees and asylum-seekers.
Today, the 3.5 million refugees and asylum seekers remain, but there are only 6.3 million IDPs.
This represents almost a 22 per cent fall in IDPs in the region in just six months, according to the just released report, Region on the Move, which provides an overview of migration patterns in the region.
“The overall drop in the number of internally displaced persons in East & Horn of Africa means peace and security has returned and migrants feel safe to return home,” said Mohammed Abdiker, Regional Director, IOM, East & Horn of Africa.
Comparatively, the number of arrivals of East & Horn of Africa migrants registered across European arrival points in Greece, Italy and Spain fell from 4,624 in 2018 to 3,452 in 2019.