Humanitarian issues at the fore after border ruling

The ruling on Eritrea's border with Ethiopia, announced earlier this month, is likely to have an impact on crucial humanitarian issues in Eritrea such as reintegration and refugee repatriation. According to the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the Eritrean capital, Asmara, the decision - delivered on 13 April by an independent Boundary Commission in The Hague - may result in a huge refugee return from Sudan. Already, the refugees - many of whom have been out of Eritrea for 30 years - are going home in great numbers. Given this mass return, OCHA has underlined the importance of the reintegration programme for the refugees and also for internally displaced people (IDPs) in the country. It noted that additional financial support would be needed for the rehabilitation of both the areas that would be re-administered as a result of the ruling, and the areas of return. "IDPs and expellees in camps who may not be able to return soon will require food aid and other humanitarian assistance," OCHA pointed out in a report. Some 48,000 IDPs are still living in 11 camps in the Debub, Gash Barka and Northern Red Sea zones, OCHA said. "With the transfer of territory, a large number of people are likely to be in need of relocation assistance," it added. "The Ethiopians who are now going to become Eritreans, or vice-versa, will be a challenge for the humanitarian community with regard to the allocation of farmland, and basic needs such as food and shelter. In addition, the views of the affected people will need to be taken into consideration." The UN is appealing for urgent assistance for various programmes, including demining, which, OCHA says, will be one of the "most important challenges" facing the country.