Our partners

  1. International Finance Corporation
  2. UNHCR
  3. UNICEF
  4. The World Bank
Made possible thanks to the generous support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands
  1. Web page of the project (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands)
  2. ILO's development cooperation programmes with the Netherlands

Our partners' ressources

IFC ► How Firms are Responding and Adapting During COVID-19 and Recovery
World Bank ► UN-World Bank Partnership in Crisis-Affected Situations Monitoring Report 2020

Get in touch

ILO Country Office for Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan
Visit their website

Jean-Yves Barba

Chief Technical Advisor
barba@ilo.org

Eirmyas Kaase
National Project Coordinator - Enterprise Development
kaase@ilo.org

Chekole Moges Habtu
National Project Coordinator - EIIP
habtu@ilo.org

Marta Tsehay
National Project Coordinator, Digital Inclusion and Youth Participation
tsehay@ilo.org

Gizeshwork Tadesse Gurmu
National Programme Officer, Skills 
gurmu@ilo.org

Zelalem Alemenew
National Communication Officer
desta@ilo.org 

Meron Elias
Finance and Administrative Assistant
eliasm@ilo.org

Chemeda Basha
Finance and Administrative Assistant
basha@ilo.org

Ethiopia

The second-largest refugee-hosting country in Africa

Ethiopia has a long-standing history of hosting refugees and maintains an open-door policy for refugees seeking protection in its territory. The country recently updated its existing national refugee proclamation, making it one of the most progressive in Africa.

According to the latest UNHCR Global Trends (2019), Ethiopia is host to 733,125 refugees (53% are female and 63% are children and adolescents aged 0-17). The majority of refugee populations are from South Sudan (46.7%), Somalia (26.4%), Eritrea (19.9%), and Sudan (5.8%). Refugees are largely from low income agro-pastoralist backgrounds, have low levels of literacy, and few modern technical skills. Overall, children, adult women, the disabled and the elderly make up around 80 percent of the population and can be considered vulnerable.

The humanitarian landscape of Ethiopia continues to be dominated by challenges posed by intercommunal violence and the resultant mass internal displacements (IDPs). There is a triple challenge of drought impact, localized flooding and the still significant humanitarian and recovery needs of IDPs, returnees and host communities. Assessments as of September 2019 have identified 1.61 million IDPs (307,437 households) internally displaced across 1,149 sites in Ethiopia with 1.07 million IDPs (66.8%) conflict-induced and 402,562 IDPs (25.1%) climate-induced.

Two areas (Shire & Jjijiga) emerged as potential targets and initial priorities amongst the below forcibly displaced hosting areas. Intensely displacement-impacted areas in the Faafan Zone of SRS and the NW Tigray (Shire) zone emerged as potential areas of interest. However interventions may not be restricted to these two areas as support to economic opportunities and necessary market linkages that stretch across different refugee hosting areas may be pursued.

The Partners (IFC, ILO, UNICEF, UNHCR, World Bank) will collaboratively support government-led efforts to strengthen systems and develop and implement policies that promote inclusion and socio-economic development of FDPs and host communities, whilst working closely with local authorities, business/private sector, and communities to identify, maximize, and realize opportunities.

Latest news

  1. Empowering Ethiopian youth: ILO Youth to Youth Fund winners announced

  2. ILO's Youth-to-Youth Fund to tackle youth unemployment in Ethiopia

  3. ILO launches business plan competition to boost entrepreneurship in Ethiopia’s Somali region

  4. Satellite vocational training center brings hope to displaced and local communities in Ethiopia

  5. Women defy gender norms, access vocational training on hard labour occupations in Ethiopia

  6. Mentoring host and refugee youth in Ethiopia to become future leaders

  7. ILO promotes labour intensive methods to improve livelihoods of host and refugee communities in Ethiopia

  8. Press release

    Youth Network Committee to shape activities for the host and refugee youth in Ethiopia

  9. Press Release

    ILO supported Business Development Service Providers Association established in Ethiopia

  10. Pastoralists in Ethiopia find a cure for hard-to-reach veterinary services

  11. Industry exposure for vocational trainers to address skills gap in Ethiopia

  12. News

    Refugee access to labour markets and decent work sensitization workshop

  13. The ILO and ITU highlight opportunities for boosting youth employment in the digital economy in Ethiopia’s Afar and Somali regions

  14. Press release

    ILO to facilitate better access to labour market opportunities for refugees and IDPs

  15. Supporting host and refugee communities in Ethiopia to start and improve their businesses

  16. The ILO and the LWF to strengthen vocational skills development for refugees and youth in Kebribeyah

  17. News

    Upskilling local contractors in routine road maintenance for better performance and workmanship

  18. News

    More than Jobs for Refugees

  19. News

    Social cohesion in fragile contexts through TVET

  20. Press release

    ILO to facilitate better access to labour market opportunities for refugees and IDPs

  21. Article

    Roads to Employment Opportunities and Harmonious Communities