Settlement in Ethiopia should consider living situation of pastoralists: ESSSWA

Addis Ababa, January 28(ENA)-- The settlement and resettlement in Ethiopia should take into account the livelihood and production systems of the pastoral community in the country.

Secretary of the Ethiopian Society of Sociologists, Social workers and Anthropologists (ESSSWA) , Dr Ayalew Gebre said settlement should be considered as one of a policy alternative in a country like Ethiopia where natural resources and settlement patterns were incompatible.

Dr. Ayalew was speaking here on Tuesday at the opening of a three-day workshop organized by the United Nations Emergencies Unit for Ethiopia and ESSSWA on settlement and resettlement in Ethiopia: Population Displacement, Pastoralist Sedentarisation and Peace Making.

He said that settlement is deemed necessary to effectively utilizing the natural resources of the country based on relevant studies that consider the current living conditions of the general public.

Twenty-one study papers that would help design policy directives and help avert the recurrent drought would be presented at the workshop, Dr. Ayalew said.

According to Regional Liaison Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Mr. Ilunga Ngandu, there were about 134,000 refugees in 2002 in Ethiopia.

He said 37,349 were Somali refugees, 93,500 Sudanese and 3,871 Eritreans.

The number of refugees in the East and Horn of Africa is steadily increasing, he said, adding UNHCR has been doing its level best to repatriate the refugees in their home countries.

Participants drawn from the Addis Ababa University, government offices, UNHCR and other NGOs are attending the workshop.

(END)