ERITREA

FACTSHEET
March 2015

HIGHLIGHTS
34

603

77

10

Identified separated
children

Households provided with

cash grants in year 2014

Household items
distributed since January

Shelters distributed since

January

Population of concern
A total of

Funding

2930 people of concern

USD 5,913,217requested **

Country

Total PoC*

Somalia

2793

Others

137

Total

Funded
0%

Gap
100%

2930

Note: *PoC stands for persons of concern

** In the Jan 2015 factsheet, an erroneous indication of 33% funding had
been published. This was a glitch in the standard format, which has now
been corrected.

UNHCR Presence
Staff:
12 national staff
3 international staff
3 affiliate staff (National and international)

Offices:
Asmara and Field presence in Umkulu, Massawa

EXTERNAL

UNHCR FACTSHEET

By country of origin

UNHCR Factsheet-ERITREA March 2015

DEVELOPMENTS

On 18th March 2015, and following the UNHCR book donation brochure
distributed to all embassies and UN agencies in Eritrea; the US Embassy in
Asmara donated more than 200 books to the Umkulu Refugee Camp School
which will be added to the textbooks already received from the Libyan Embassy
as a donation. The aim of the book collection is to establish a library with
educational and leisure books for Somali children in the camp, in an effort to
nurture a reading culture and support recreational activities. The photo caption
on the cover of this page displays the occasion of UNHCR receiving the books
from the American Embassy. The refugee book collection drive is still on-going
and all parties are encouraged to support the initiative.
On 20th March 2015, UNHCR partnered with other UN agencies and a couple of
other organizations to showcase literary material of the organization, its mandate
and its role in Eritrea at the annual Asmara Book Fair. The UN stall and UNHCR
material generated good interest, and received compliments of appreciation
from the diverse visitors visiting the stall. It was an excellent occasion to
demonstrate UNHCRs cooperation with the Government of the State of Eritrea
in fulfilling their obligations to protect and find durable solutions for refugees in
their operational environment.

WORKING WITH PARTNERS

On 6th March 2015, UNHCR along with its partner the Office for Refugee Affairs
(ORA) held a joint meeting to discuss and plan for the 2016-2017 COP process. In
the backdrop of global funding shortfalls and operational changes that would
need to take place that amongst other would include re-examining the way
assistance is provided, exploring cheaper and more innovative ways of service
delivery, but most important, the pursuit of durable solutions for all refugees and
particularly, for the protracted Somali refugee population, that has been in the
country for over 20 years. A subsequent meeting of the same was held in Umkulu
Refugee Camp on 9th March 2015, by both ORA and UNHCR, in an effort to
prepare the refugee population for these changes, as well as offset the age,
gender and diversity participatory exercises for the planning years in question, in
order to solicit the beneficiaries views and have them incorporated in the
planning process, as is procedural. By 31.03.2015, UNHCR Eritrea had completed
the preparation of the 2016/2017 Country Operation Plan (COP) and uploaded the
same onto the FOCUS system.

To commemorate International Womens Day, UNHCR participated in an evening
event organized by the National Union of Eritrean Women (NUEW). A subsequent
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) www.unhcr.org

UNHCR Factsheet-ERITREA March 2015

participation in a related gala event by NUEW, to raise awareness, support and

solidarity for disabled Eritrean Women War Veterans was also attended on 28th
March 2015.

MAIN ACTIVITIES
International Protection

During the regular continuous registration mission of March 2015: 18 new born babies, 1
death, 4 Marriages and 3 returns of earlier spontaneous departures from the camp were
registered. With respect to new born babies, this is an unprecedented number to the usual
average on 10 new born babies a month. UNHCR is gravely concerned over the increasing
number of teenage pregnancies and young mothers in the camp and especially in light of
the fact that many cases remain without any clear cut identified durable solution, amidst
global funding shortfalls and more limited assistance support.
Food Security and Nutrition

Preparations are underway to conduct a Nutrition Survey in Umkulu refugee camp with the
collaboration of the Office of Refugee Affairs and UNICEF by hiring an external consultant.
The objective of the Survey is to understand the nutrition and food security situation of
camp-based refugees in Eritrea.
Shelter and NFIs

UNHCR Eritrea received 600 pcs of family tents and 600 pcs of Plastic Tarpaulins and is in
the process of developing distribution plans for the camp based refugee on a need basis, in
order to optimally utilise the consignment, given that addressing shelter needs in Eritrea are
extremely costly and the 2016 budget onwards may not afford to continue with the
initiated transitional shelter construction of hallow-brick houses, and neither does the
operation intend to make any new requests for additional tents. The main idea is to
expedite solutions and change refugee mentality from the stalled stay-in camp situation.
Community Empowerment and Self-Reliance

Following requests advanced by refugees during the recently concluded Age, Gender and
Diversity (AGD) participatory sessions conducted in the camp, UNHCR provided one used
printer to be used by the Umkulu School Director and six used computer desktops by the
refugee students in the school the camp.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) www.unhcr.org

UNHCR Factsheet-ERITREA March 2015

Durable Solutions

A Resettlement Information Campaign was launched in Umkulu Refugee Camp between
30th of March 1st April 2015. It aimed at informing the Somali refugees about the up-to-date
status of their resettlement cases. Lists of up-to-date resettlement cases status and
materials related to the resettlement processes with the main resettlement countries were
put up in the refugee camp, followed by individual resettlement counseling sessions.

As a continuation to the February 2015 Voluntary -Repatriation update exercise, in midMarch during the Multi - Functional team (MFT) members mission to Umkulu Refugee
Camp, UNHCR Eritrea was approached by POCs interested for voluntary repatriation. The
basis of the Operations Vol-Rep exercise are tied to the 2014 UNHCR Advisory on the
Return of Somali Nationals to Somalia that enabled the Office to work for return to
Somaliland and Puntland and the August 2014 Global Initiative on Somali Refugees (GISR)
that came up with pilot return areas namely Luuq, Kismayo and Baidoa. Cumulatively, 49
HHs (203 individuals) have voluntarily expressed their desire to return to different places in
Somalia such as Hargeisa (Somaliland), Galkaeyo (Puntland), [Mogadishu, Luuq, Kismayo,
Baidoa and Belet Hawa (all in South/Central Somalia)]. The last desired return area is (Belet
Hawa) currently not among any of the identified GISR pilot return areas. In the month of
April 2015, UNHCR Eritrea will embark on preparations for these returns to Somalia in
coordination with GoSE and the different UNHCR Offices in parts of Somalia.

An IOM staff member arrived in Eritrea at the end of February 2015 and departed to
Umkulu Refugee Camp, Massawa, to undertake chest x-rays for refugees in the
resettlement process with Canada and Australia. Chest x-rays for 360 individuals were
undertaken in March 2015 and the overall tally by the end of April should amount to over
600 individuals.

34 cases of 210 Somali refugees individuals were forwarded as part of the Emergency
Transit Facility (ETF) group 6 to the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) for
further consideration for future movement to the ETF and onwards resettlement to the US,
under existing arrangements between UNHCR Eritrea and USRAP.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) www.unhcr.org

UNHCR Factsheet-ERITREA March 2015

UNHCR is grateful for the generous contributions of donors who have given earmarked
funds and contributions to UNHCR this year as well as the following donors who have
directly contributed to the operation:
| German DAFI tertiary Scholarship fund|

*The contents of this factsheet are the exclusive property of UNHCR and should not be reproduced in part or whole, without
the explicit authorisation from the Office.
Contacts:
Bernadette Muteshi, Protection Officer/OIC, Muteshi@unhcr.org, Tel: +291 1 182 484
Monica Modici, Communications Specialist, modici@unhcr.org, Tel: +291 1 182 484, Cell +291 7 307044

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) www.unhcr.org