At a time when conflict and instability are driving new displacement across the region, Ethiopia is showing that refugee protection and inclusion can go hand in hand, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih said at the end of his first official visit to the country.
“Ethiopia is demonstrating what becomes possible when protection is matched with inclusion and opportunity – not only for refugees, but also for the communities that welcome them,” Salih said. “This leadership deserves greater international support, investment and responsibility-sharing.”
During the five-day mission, from 18 to 22 June, Salih marked World Refugee Day with refugees and host communities, and held high-level discussions with the Government of Ethiopia, the African Union, UN partners, donors and the private sector. While in Addis Ababa, he also presided over an important tripartite meeting with the governments of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo on safe, voluntary and sustainable repatriation of refugees.
Ethiopia is one of Africa’s largest refugee-hosting countries, home to over 1.1 million refugees and asylum-seekers. Despite economic pressures, climate shocks and regional instability, the country continues to offer safety to people fleeing conflict, violence and persecution.
A key moment of the visit was the launch of the Makatet Roadmap, a national framework to include refugees in national systems and services. It aims to move beyond short-term aid by providing access to documentation, education, health care, jobs, and local services – benefiting refugees and host communities alike. The High Commissioner said the initiative was closely aligned with UNHCR’s “50 by 35” vision to reduce the number of refugees in protracted situations and dependent on humanitarian assistance by half over the next 10 years through greater inclusion, self-reliance and lasting solutions.
“The Makatet Roadmap is exactly the kind of practical, nationally-led approach the world needs more of,” Salih said. “It recognizes that refugees need more than safety; they need the chance to learn, work and rebuild their lives.”
The High Commissioner spent World Refugee Day in Ura settlement in Benishangul-Gumuz, near Sudan. He met some of the 45,000 families who have arrived from Sudan since the devastating conflict started in 2023. In Ura, newly arrived Sudanese refugees live alongside host communities and access shared services, including schools and health care, highlighting Ethiopia’s “solutions from the start” approach, which brings long-term development into emergency response as soon as refugees arrive.
Salih engaged with refugee entrepreneurs whose businesses are creating jobs, supporting families and contributing to the local economy in Ura and Addis Ababa. “The pathway is clear,” Salih said. “With the right policies and support, refugees can move from dependency to self-reliance, creating growth and opportunities for the entire community. This is Makatet in action, and a win for all.”
At Jewi camp – in Ethiopia’s Gambella region, which is home to nearly 450,000 South Sudanese refugees – the High Commissioner witnessed the impact of severe funding shortages. In recent months, thousands more from South Sudan have sought safety from renewed violence in their country, with contingencies for at least 100,000 new arrivals in Gambella this year.
“There is one doctor for 70,000 people in this camp. This is unacceptable and a moral failure,” said Salih. “Humanitarian assistance continues to save lives and needs sustained international support. We cannot afford to look away.”
UNHCR, with the Government and partners, is providing protection and life-saving assistance to those forced to flee. However, extreme funding shortfalls limit the scale and sustainability of the response.
During his visit, Salih also addressed African Union member states and underscored the inextricable link between peace and displacement and the need for stronger regional and international cooperation to address its root causes.
On his final day, Salih presided over a High-Level Ministerial Tripartite Meeting between the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of Rwanda and UNHCR, where he reaffirmed UNHCR’s commitment to working with both governments to support voluntary and safe repatriation as part of the peace process. The parties signed a joint communiqué to strengthen support for voluntary returns when conditions allow and for the reintegration of refugees who choose to return.
“Displacement is only one chapter of a life. Refugees should not spend decades waiting in limbo,” Salih added. “What I’ve seen over the past week in Ethiopia shows that with investment, support and political will, durable solutions for refugees can move from aspiration to reality.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
