Since mid-December, over 70,000 refugees from South Sudan have fled the violence there into the Gambella Region of Ethiopia, seeking to escape insecurity and a lack of food. The numbers are growing all the time. The UK Government is extremely concerned about this situation. This week I visited a new camp for refugees (currently known as Tierkidi) and the border at Pagak, so see what was happening. It was alarming and tremendously moving.
We recognise and commend the Government of Ethiopia for upholding the right to asylum and its open door policy for refugees in the region. This long record of generosity to citizens of neighbouring countries is well known. The inhabitants of Gambella are being extremely welcoming to the newcomers. We also praise the efforts of UNHCR and its partners, who are doing all they can in their response to this crisis. They are dealing with huge problems of providing healthcare; food and water; and shelter for the many refugees (the majority of them children) who continue to flood in.
The UK will do all it can to assist refugees from South Sudan in Ethiopia. We have just allocated £4 million for the operations in Gambella – £2.2 million to help the World Food Programme feed 60,000 refugees for three months and the remainder to UNHCR and their NGO partners. We are looking into what more we can do.
But the root cause of the problem lies in South Sudan. The leaders there must demonstrate the courage and wisdom required to restore peace and allow the refugees to return to their homes in safety and dignity. The world looks to them to prove that they can rise above the crisis and show true leadership.