Key Considerations: Social Science Perspectives for Emergency Response to the Conflict in Northern Ethiopia

Abstract

Ethiopia is currently experiencing several intersecting humanitarian crises including conflict, climatic shocks, COVID-19, desert locust infestation and more. These intersecting crises are affecting nearly 30 million people and resulting in food insecurity, displacement and protection risks. As of February 2022, over 2.5 million people were estimated to have been displaced as a result of the ongoing conflict-driven humanitarian crisis in the Northern Ethiopian regions of Tigray, Amhara and Afar that began in November 2020. As of May 2022, 9.4 million were in need of humanitarian aid in the region. Private and public assets have been destroyed, already fragile livelihoods damaged, and communities left in dire need of support. This brief outlines important contextual factors and social impacts of the Northern Ethiopian crisis and offers key considerations to improve the effectiveness of the humanitarian response. It is based on a rapid review of existing published and grey literature and conversations with relevant stakeholders, including people from affected regions and humanitarian responders. This brief is part of a series authored by participants from the SSHAP Fellowship and was written by Heran Abebe and Getachew Belaineh from Cohort 2. It was reviewed by Ezana Amdework (Addis Ababa University), Kelemework Tafere (Mekelle University), and Yomif Worku (independent humanitarian advisor), and was supported by Tabitha Hrynick from the SSHAP team at the Institute of Development Studies. The brief is the responsibility of the SSHAP.