UN Briefing Notes Kenya Hosting Ethiopians, Alongside Ukraine and Iran Updates

A recent United Nations news digest referred to Ethiopians being hosted in neighbouring Kenya. The item appeared among several global updates, including warnings about civilian safety in Ukraine and the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) continued effort to gain access in Iran.

The digest was published under the headline "No Safe Place in Ukraine, IAEA Seeks Iran Access, Kenya Hosts Ethiopians." At the time of writing, Addis Gazette could not obtain further details about the Ethiopian item. These include how many people are involved, where in Kenya they are staying and why they left Ethiopia.

What is known

The headline indicates that the UN has drawn attention to Kenya's role in receiving Ethiopians. It does not say whether the people are newly arrived asylum seekers, part of a long-standing refugee population or people displaced by a specific recent event.

Addis Gazette has sought further information from UN agencies and Kenyan authorities, including the number of people involved, the reception sites being used, the assistance being provided and whether further arrivals are expected.

Background: Kenya as a host country

Kenya is one of the main refugee-hosting countries in East Africa. Its largest settlements are the Dadaab complex in the north-east and Kakuma in the north-west. There are also urban refugee communities in Nairobi. Most refugees in Kenya come from Somalia and South Sudan. The country also hosts people from Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi and elsewhere in the region.

Ethiopia and Kenya share a long border, and the Moyale crossing is one of its busiest points for trade and travel. In the past, Ethiopians have crossed into Kenya in significant numbers to escape insecurity. In 2018, for example, thousands of people fled into northern Kenya around Moyale after violence on the Ethiopian side of the border.

Ethiopia is itself a major refugee-hosting country, with large populations from South Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea and Sudan. Some regions also face internal displacement linked to conflict, drought and other pressures.

Other items in the digest

The same UN update highlighted continuing danger to civilians in Ukraine, describing the situation as one in which there is "no safe place." UN officials and agencies have repeatedly raised concern about attacks affecting homes, energy systems and other civilian infrastructure since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The digest also noted that the IAEA is seeking access in Iran. The Vienna-based agency monitors nuclear activities under international safeguards agreements. In recent years it has repeatedly said it needs inspector access to verify the status of Iran's nuclear programme.

Why it matters for Ethiopia

Cross-border movement between Ethiopia and Kenya can affect:

• communities in southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya
• regional humanitarian budgets, which are already under strain from funding shortfalls
• cooperation between Addis Ababa and Nairobi on border and migration issues

Humanitarian agencies have warned in recent years that reduced donor funding is limiting their ability to help displaced people across the Horn of Africa.

Addis Gazette will update this report as official figures and further details become available from the UN, the Kenyan government or Ethiopian authorities.

Source: Mirage News