ERITREA: Uncertain future for thousands of returning IDPs A profile of the internal displacement situation 13 June, 2006 This Internal Displacement Profile is automatically generated from the online IDP database of the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). It includes an overview of the internal displacement situation in the country prepared by the IDMC, followed by a compilation of excerpts from relevant reports by a variety of different sources. All headlines as well as the bullet point summaries at the beginning of each chapter were added by the IDMC to facilitate navigation through the Profile. Where dates in brackets are added to headlines, they indicate the publication date of the most recent source used in the respective chapter. The views expressed in the reports compiled in this Profile are not necessarily shared by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre. The Profile is also available online at www.internal-displacement.org. About the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, established in 1998 by the Norwegian Refugee Council, is the leading international body monitoring conflict-induced internal displacement worldwide. Through its work, the Centre contributes to improving national and international capacities to protect and assist the millions of people around the globe who have been displaced within their own country as a result of conflicts or human rights violations. At the request of the United Nations, the Geneva-based Centre runs an online database providing comprehensive information and analysis on internal displacement in some 50 countries. Based on its monitoring and data collection activities, the Centre advocates for durable solutions to the plight of the internally displaced in line with international standards. The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre also carries out training activities to enhance the capacity of local actors to respond to the needs of internally displaced people. In its work, the Centre cooperates with and provides support to local and national civil society initiatives. For more information, visit the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre website and the database at www.internal-displacement.org. Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre Norwegian Refugee Council Chemin de Balexert 7-9 1219 Geneva, Switzerland Tel.: +41 22 799 07 00 [email protected] www.internal-displacement.org 2 CONTENTS CONTENTS 3 OVERVIEW 7 ERITREA: UNCERTAIN FUTURE FOR THOUSANDS OF RETURNING IDPS 7 CAUSES AND BACKGROUND 12 MAIN CAUSES FOR DISPLACEMENT 12 ARMED CONFLICT BETWEEN ERITREA AND ETHIOPIA CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT, MAY 1998 - JUNE 2000 12 DROUGHT IS SERIOUSLY WORSENING THE SITUATION OF IDPS AND MAY CAUSE NEW DISPLACEMENTS (JUNE 2003) 13 BACKGROUND OF THE CONFLICT 15 BACKGROUND TO THE 1998 BORDER DISPUTE 15 BOTH ERITREA AND ETHIOPIA USED MASS DEPORTATIONS AS A WEAPON OF WAR, 1998-2002 17 CHRONOLOGY OF THE MILITARY CONFRONTATIONS IN BORDER AREAS BETWEEN ERITREA AND ETHIOPIA, MAY 1998 – DECEMBER 2000 21 CONTINUOUS GRUMBLING TENSIONS BETWEEN ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA (MARCH 2003) 23 PEACE EFFORTS 24 END OF WAR AFTER SIGNING OF CEASE-FIRE IN JUNE 2000 AND PEACE AGREEMENT IN DECEMBER 2000 25 THE TEMPORARY SECURITY ZONE (APRIL 2005) 28 THE UNITED NATIONS MISSION IN ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA (UNMEE) AND THE TEMPORARY SECURITY ZONE, 2000-2006 (MAY 2006) 29 THE BOUNDARY COMMISSION, 2000-2006 (MAY 2006) 31 GENERAL DETERIORATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN ERITREA (JUNE 2006) 33 POPULATION FIGURES AND PROFILE 37 TOTAL NATIONAL FIGURES 37 ERITREAN GOVERNMENT SEEKS SOLUTIONS FOR ITS REMAINING IDPS (MARCH 2006) 37 TOTAL INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE IN ERITREA: 58,953 PERSONS (MAY 2004) 37 USCR: 75,000 REMAIN DISPLACED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY (JUNE 2003) 38 DEPORTEES FROM ETHIOPIA OF ERITREAN ORIGIN RESETTLED TEMPORARILY IN IDP CAMPS (JUNE 2003) 38 MAJOR DECREASE OF IDP NUMBERS DURING 2000: FROM 900,000 TO 308,000 BY END-2000 (NOVEMBER 2001) 39 GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION 41 3 REMAINING IDPS UNABLE TO RETURN TWO YEARS AFTER THE CEASE-FIRE LOCATED IN GASH BARKA., DEBUB AND NORTHERN RED SEA (NOVEMBER 2002) 41 IDPS UNABLE TO RETURN RELOCATED IN TEMPORARY/TRANSITORY CAMPS (DECEMBER 2001) 42 SELECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ABOUT IDP POPULATIONS BY END-2000 (FEBRUARY 2001) 45 PATTERNS OF DISPLACEMENT 47 GENERAL 47 IDPS MOVE OUT OF CAMPS AND CLOSER TO HOME AREAS (FEBRUARY 2001) 47 PEOPLE SEEKING REFUGEE IN SECURE LOCATIONS OUTSIDE THE REACH OF ETHIOPIAN FORCES (SEPTEMBER 2000) 48 PHYSICAL SECURITY & FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT 50 FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT 50 BOUNDARY DEMARCATION WILL ENTAIL EXCHANGE OF PEOPLE AS WELL AS LAND (OCTOBER 2002) 50 LANDMINES REMAIN THE MAIN DANGER FOR PEOPLE IN THE TEMPORARY SECURITY ZONE (JUNE 2002) 50 PHYSICAL SECURITY 52 ERITREA FORCES UNMEE TO SUSPEND DE-MINING ACTIVITIES ALONG THE BORDER (JUNE 2006) 52 BOMB BLAST RAISES CONCERN OVER SECURITY IN GASH BARKA (JUNE 2004) 52 12 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE, HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANISATIONS EXPRESS CONCERN (MAY 2003) 52 SUBSISTENCE NEEDS 54 GENERAL 54 ASSISTANCE TO IDPS (JUNE 2006) 54 DETERIORATING HUMANITARIAN SITUATION (MAY 2005) 54 RETURNING REFUGEES FROM SUDAN IN NEED OF BASIC FACILITIES FOR REINTEGRATION (MAY 2004) 55 IDPS IN NEED OF RELIEF ASSISTANCE (APRIL 2004) 55 HEALTH 57 CRITICAL GENERAL HEALTH SITUATION (JUNE 2006) 57 HEALTH AND NUTRITION SITUATION SERIOUSLY DETERIORATING (MAY 2006) 58 INCREASE IN MALNUTRITION RATES IN DEBUB, ANSEBA AND GASH BARKA ZOBAS (JUNE 2006) 60 LARGE-SCALE POPULATION MOVEMENTS AND WAR-RELATED DISPLACEMENT ARE CONDUCIVE TO THE SPREAD OF HIV/AIDS AND STDS (NOVEMBER 2002) 62 FOOD 63 CASH-FOR-WORK IS TO REPLACE FREE FOOD DISTRIBUTION IN THIS EXTREMELY FOOD- INSECURE COUNTRY (MAY 2006) 63 MAIN RETURNEE AREAS DEBUB AND GASH BARKA TRADITIONALLY GENERATED MORE THAN 70 PER CENT OF ANNUAL PRODUCTION (JUNE 2003) 66 4 WATER AND SANITATION 67 ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER IS A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM (JUNE 2006) 67 IDP RETURNEES AND HOST COMMUNITIES FACE CRITICAL WATER AND SANITATION PROBLEM DUE TO HARSH DROUGHT (JUNE 2004) 68 LACK OF FUNDING FOR WATER AND SANITATION REDUCED ACCESS TO DRINKING WATER (JUNE 2003) 69 CHALLENGING WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION NEEDS IN AN ENVIRONMENT PLAGUED BY DROUGHT AND MINES (NOVEMBER 2002) 71 ESTIMATED THAT ONLY 44% OF THE URBAN AND 16 % OF THE RURAL POPULATION HAVE ACCESS TO SAFE WATER (FEBRUARY 2001) 73 SHELTER 74 ICRC ASSISTS IDPS WITH SHELTER AND NON-FOOD ITEMS (JUNE 2006) 74 SHELTER SITUATION OF IDPS AND EXPELLEES IN CAMPS VERY CRITICAL (MAY 2005) 74 KEY OBJECTIVE TO ASSIST IN REINTEGRATION AND RECOVERY OF IDPS (JUNE 2003) 75 ACCESS TO EDUCATION 77 GENERAL 77 LOW GENERAL SCHOOL ENROLMENT (JUNE 2006) 77 OFTEN NO EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES IN PLACE IN VILLAGES OF IDPS' RETURN (MARCH 2006) 77 EDUCATION PROJECTS FOR IDP CHILDREN STRAINED BY LIMITED RESOURCES (MAY 2005) 77 1998-2000 CONFLICT ERODED ACHIEVEMENTS MADE IN THE EDUCATIONAL SECTOR SINCE INDEPENDENCE (SEPTEMBER 2001) 78 ISSUES OF SELF-RELIANCE AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 80 DISRUPTION OF COPING MECHANISMS 80 MAJOR OBSTACLES TO RECOVERY AND SELF-RELIANCE REMAIN UNCHANGED (NOVEMBER 2002) 80 DISPLACEMENT FROM HIGHLY FERTILE GASH BARKA AND DEBUB REGIONS LED TO MAJOR DISRUPTIONS IN FOOD AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION (OCTOBER 2001) 82 WAR HAS ADDED A HEAVY BURDEN ON WOMEN AND YOUNG GIRLS (JANUARY 2001) 84 ISSUES OF FAMILY UNITY, IDENTITY AND CULTURE 85 GENERAL 85 CURRENT DROUGHT COMPOUNDS POST-CONFLICT REQUIREMENTS IN SOCIAL SECTOR (MAY 2003) 85 SEPARATED CHILDREN RECEIVED ADEQUATE CARE BECAUSE OF STRONG FAMILY BONDS (SEPTEMBER 2000) 85 PROPERTY ISSUES 87 GENERAL 87 NO RECENT INFORMATION ON PROPERTY ISSUES RELATING TO IDPS (MAY 2006) 87 5 MOST HOUSES IN BORDER TOWN TSORONA DAMAGED DURING ETHIOPIAN OFFENSIVE (JUNE 2001) 87 DAMAGE IN FORMERLY OCCUPIED AREAS TARGETED TO PUBLIC PROPERTY AND BUILDINGS (MAY 2001) 87 PATTERNS OF RETURN AND RESETTLEMENT 90 GENERAL 90 GOVERNMENT SET ON ENDING DISPLACEMENT, BUT FUTURE OF RETURNEES UNCERTAIN (MAY 2006) 90 19,000 IDPS/EXPELLEES ASSISTED TO RETURN TO THEIR VILLAGES OF ORIGIN (MARCH 2005) 91 RETURNING REFUGEES FROM SUDAN NEED ASSISTANCE FOR REINTEGRATION (JULY 2004) 93 2003/2004 SCENARIO: A CONTINUATION OF STATUS QUO (JUNE 2003) 93 OBSTACLE TO RETURN 95 RETURN CONSTRAINED BY LANDMINES AND ABSENCE OF INCOME-GENERATING POSSIBILITIES (JUNE 2006) 95 HUMANITARIAN ACCESS 97 GENERAL 97 GOVERNMENT RESTRICTS ACCESS OF INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES, COUPLED WITH EFFORTS TO REACH SELF-RELIANCE (MAY 2006) 97 NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL RESPONSES 99 NATIONAL RESPONSE 99 NATIONAL RESPONSE: STRIVING FOR SELF-SUFFICIENCY 99 INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE 99 INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE SERIOUSLY CURTAILED BY GOVERNMENT RESTRICTIONS 99 COORDINATION 100 COORDINATION BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY VERY DIFFICULT 100 ERREC USED TO COLLABORATE WITH INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY (2005) 101 REFERENCE TO THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES ON INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT 102 KNOWN REFERENCES TO THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES ON INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT (AS OF AUGUST 2004) 102 ERITREA SIGNED IDP DECLARATION AT 2003 KHARTUM IGAD CONFERENCE 102 LIST OF SOURCES USED 105 6 OVERVIEW Eritrea: Uncertain future for thousands of returning IDPs The vast majority of the 1.1 million people displaced by the 1998-2000 border war between Ethiopia and Eritrea have long gone home. But Ethiopia's refusal to accept the decision of an international arbitration commission has left some 40,000 Eritrean internally displaced people (IDPs) still unable to return. Discussions between the two countries and the Ethiopia-Eritrea Border Commission (EEBC) in May 2006 ended without result, apart