Climate shocks exacerbate effects of ongoing conflict, inter-communal violence in Ethiopia: UNHCR-Xinhua

Climate shocks exacerbate effects of ongoing conflict, inter-communal violence in Ethiopia: UNHCR

Source: Xinhua| 2022-06-23 21:44:15|Editor: huaxia

ADDIS ABABA, June 23 (Xinhua) -- Various climate shocks have exacerbated the effects of ongoing conflict and inter-communal violence in Ethiopia, humanitarian organizations have warned.

A network of non-governmental organizations and United Nations agencies under the Global Protection Cluster, led by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in a protection analysis update issued Thursday called for concerted efforts to find durable solutions to the humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia.

"The effects of ongoing conflict and inter-communal violence have been exacerbated by climate shocks, including erratic rainfalls and devastating drought, reportedly the worst in 40 years," the report read.

Noting that Ethiopia is highly dependent on rain-fed agriculture and natural resources, the protection analysis update emphasized that the East African country is among the most vulnerable countries to climate change.

Following three consecutive failed rainy seasons since late 2020, Ethiopia is now facing one of the most severe droughts in East Africa, with more than 8 million people affected as of April 2022, it said.

The drought affected communities across southern and south-eastern parts of the country include the Somali region, where more than 3.5 million people were affected. In the Oromia region more than 3.4 million, in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and People's (SNNP) region more than 1.1 million, and in the South-West region more than 200,000 people have been affected by the drought, according to the report.

"Serious and complex protection risks are caused or exacerbated by conflict and drought," protection analysis update said.

The Global Protection Cluster emphasized that affected communities' living conditions are negatively impacted on a large scale due to rapid deterioration of livelihoods, opportunities and capacities, which was compounded by a volatile security environment which hinders the humanitarian effort to stop, or at least mitigate, the resultant human suffering.

The report provides an overview of the current context, and highlights five protection risks ranging from attacks on civilians and on civilian infrastructure; gender and conflict-related sexual violence; denial of resources, opportunities and services; family and child separation; as well as deprivation of liberty.

The report, among other things, called for increased protection of civilians, investigation of all credible allegations of serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, safe and unhindered humanitarian access, strengthened civil-military coordination and a scale-up of protection monitoring and family tracing activities.

The Ethiopian government had recently called on the international community to step up humanitarian support as the East African country encountered natural and man-made disasters.

Earlier this month, the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) had also disclosed that drought conditions across Ethiopia have left more than 7.2 million pastoralists and agro-pastoralists in four regions of Ethiopia in need of food aid.

In addition to the ongoing drought, the UNOCHA said more than 9 million people are in need of food assistance in conflict-affected northern Ethiopia and food assistance will be required throughout 2022 across northern Ethiopia.

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