Ethiopia Access Snapshot - Gedeo and West Guji As of 15 September 2020 The humanitarian situation in the sub-region has signifi- WOLAYITA i Partners have reported that security forces have attempted cantly improved in 2020, following the return of near i to command their vehicles and some incidents at security 300,000 IDPs to areas of origin - some 170,000 in Gedeo Daye checkpoints. These cases illustrate the tension and prevailing (94,500 from West Guji and 75,500 within Gedeo) and SIDAMA REGION suspicion in a region impacted by smuggling and other illegal Lake activities. In one incident during July, a traffic police officer in some 124,000 in West Guji by mid-2019. Nevertheless, thousands of Abaya people continue to be displaced and are yet to access durable Bule Hora demonstrated disregard to the fundamental Dilla solutions. Access continues to be limited to these IDPs due to the provision that relief partners cannot carry weapons on their Abaya Zuria ongoing security operations against unidentified armed groups vehicles nor be associated with any security actor. The police (UAGs). Wenago officer stopped an NGO vehicle and demanded from the driver Gelo Bule to transport armed security personnel. He also physically The conflict with UAGs in West Guji - and neighboring Guji - contin- Ledo Rape assaulted the driver. This kind of incident infringes on human- ues unabated. While the security situation has improved in the recent itarian principles. past, sporadic clashes continue. In August, partners reported eight Yirga Oda derba Dango GEDEO major incidents of clashes causing casualties and hindering opera- Ergensa Chefe Some 30,000 people remain displaced since mid-2018 in Churso tions in Dugda Dawa, Bule Hora, Gelana, Kercha, and Melka Soda Bore Chelbessa Melka Soda woreda due to security operations against Kochere woredas. The impact of this violence on humanitarian access is Gelana Hambela UAGs. The intensification of security operations in January intermittent, impacting the quality of assistance to vulnerable popula- Wamena impacted partners' access to the woreda; since July, partners tion groups. Armed groups are mobile and continue to carry out Shamole Oda Gedeb have managed to access the area only on an intermittent ambushes targeting local officials and security forces. While no aid Shamole Shida basis. Limited access initially affected the response to a partner has been directly targeted by such violence, there is a high risk Gedu Hera cholera outbreak in the woreda. UNDSS continues to warn Jabasere Lipitu Kercha Dari wamena of collateral damage. AMARO Kersa/MeteriChere about the high risk of suffering collateral damage during road Gololicha Gerachu Birbirsa movements or programme delivery. In September, a UN Jeldu In 2020, tensions between Guji and Gedeo communities in West Guji Galessa Kojowa Bedessa mission also documented lingering insecurity, significantly have remained low thanks to continued community-level security and BurkaKilenso Kibissa Chebicha Resa Funyankawa GUJI impacting boundary areas with Dugda Dawa, Bule Hora, and Ebala Galessa Galessa Araba peace and reconciliation efforts. This notwithstanding, some issues Sororo Burka Soke Kercha woredas and Guji zone. remain to impact equitable access to need-based aid. Authorities Melkajawe Bule Hora Dawabichu Surro Buda Dawadimtu Some 3,000 IDPs - ethnic Gedeo - have not returned to their have discouraged partners from supporting the claims of IDP return- Ropi Berguda Mageda ees to recover former land or property taken during the conflict. In Mageda Dayadawa place of origin in West Guji due to insecurity and lack of land Melkasoda addition, authorities have reportedly issued separate identification access. These IDPs primarily live with the host community in Hidakorma WEST GUJI documents (IDs) to IDP returnees. BURJI Melka Soda Gedeo and are engaged in causal labor and petty trade. Dugda Regional authorities have not recognized them as IDPs since In 2019, authorities and partners put a new system to assess and Dawa Bayagundi last year. They have been included as a "vulnerable group" in target people in need jointly. This came as a result of previous the Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP), which remains disagreements. on the numbers of people affected by the conflict and to be implemented. Currently, food aid assistance in the concerns over denials of assistance to the population groups. In Returnees (1) Chemekura Gedeo zone is given only to returnees, and remaining IDPs Kercha woreda, an estimated 100,000 people were arguably not West Guji 300,000 are out of coverage of protection related services. adequately or at all registered during the joint verification exercises. Gedeo 95,000 At the time of writing, authorities continue to dispute their eligibility for Accessible In terms of physical access constraints, rains have impacted partners' movements and operations through the sub-region, food assistance. Similarly, some 19,000 left-out IDPs in Suro Berguda Partially Accessible IDPs (1) BORENA and in particular, in West Guji' Gelana, Hambela Wamena, and woreda (affected by inter-communal conflict since 2019) remain out West Guji 79,000 Melka Soda woredas, also affecting the work of the Interna- of support schemes. Besides, partners are reporting instances where- Not Accessible Gedeo 3,000 tional Organization for Migration (IOM) in tracking displaced by IDPs' rights are not duly respected, for example, regarding partici- Partially accessible road (1) Zonal Disaster Risk Management pation in local decision‐making structures. Accessible Road Office and returned populations. The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations. Creation date: 30 September 2020 Source: DSS, OCHA and Partners Feedback: [email protected] www.unocha.org/ethiopia www. reliefweb.int/country/eth.