Food Assistance for Eritrean, South Sudanese, Sudanese and Somali Refugees

This operation has been modified as per budget revision 6.

Ethiopia has been hosting refugees escaping from conflict and instability in neighbouring countries for 30 years. The past three years have seen a three-fold increase in refugee numbers. There are currently 640,000 refugees in Ethiopia and WFP is planning to assist 650,000 refugees over the course of this PRRO. While the majority of the refugees are from South Sudan, there are large numbers of Somalis, Sudanese and Eritreans.

Protracted relief and recovery operation 200700 continues to address the food and nutrition requirements of camp-based refugees. The design is based on: i) the 2011 WFP/Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees joint impact evaluation; ii) the 2012 joint assessment mission by the Government, the Administration for Refugee and Returnee Affairs, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and WFP; and iii) the 2013–2014 joint health and nutrition survey by the Administration for Refugee and Returnee Affairs, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, WFP and non-governmental partners.

These studies show that: i) the refugees in camps have limited potential for self-reliance, and that they depend largely on humanitarian assistance; ii) that it would be possible to provide cash and vouchers for the refugees; and iii) that levels of global acute malnutrition are high in Dollo Ado and Gambella camps, which host new refugees from South Sudan.

WFP will continue to support refugees through food assistance for vulnerable people, targeted supplementary feeding, school feeding and blanket supplementary feeding for children under 5 in camps where global acute malnutrition rates are above the emergency threshold. Combined cash and food transfers will continue, with the option of expansion after an external evaluation at the end of 2014.

WFP’s partners will be the Administration for Refugee and Returnee Affairs, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and non-governmental organizations.

WFP will continue to consult beneficiaries to identify needs and adapt its programmes accordingly, and will engage with protection actors to mitigate protection risks. Refugees are expected to return to their countries of origin once the situation has stabilized, but this is unlikely in the near future.

Protracted relief and recovery operation 200700 is in line with Strategic Objectives 1 and 2 of the Strategic Plan (2014–2017) and contributes to Millennium Development Goals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7.