8,700 expellees from Ethiopia resettled

A total of 8,700 Eritreans expelled from Ethiopia in 1998, and who have been homeless ever since, have been given farmland by the Eritrean government. The 2,870 families, who have each been given one hectare of land, have been relocated in trucks from Shelab camp - shared by internally displaced people and expellees - in the northwestern region of Gash Barka to three other localities: Gherenfit East, Gherenfit West and Wedi Emmi. Gherenfit was chosen for its suitability for farming, in an attempt to end the families' dependency on relief. They are being given seeds and farming implements by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), although experts say cultivation may not be possible this season due to an ongoing drought. Nevertheless, Simon Nhongo, UN Resident Humanitarian Coordinator in Eritrea, described the move as "a major breakthrough" for the families, after over four years of waiting. "The difference between them and the other camp occupants was that they had no original place to return to," he said. He said the land had been cleared of bushes and obstacles to farming, roads had been opened to make the areas accessible, and water was being pumped to them from the Gash river. School facilities had also been moved from Shelab camp to Gherenfit. "One factor which has been critical in getting them accepted by the host communities are these additional benefits that come to the local communities - in the form of a water supply and schooling, which were nonexistent before," said Nhongo. After between 75,000 and 80,000 Eritreans were expelled from Ethiopia in 1998, 16,000 rural expellees ended up living in camps, in the hope of being allocated farmland. The rest dispersed into Eritrean communities. The Eritrean government and UNDP hope to be in a position to resettle the remaining 7,300 who are still in camps, within the next two months. First, however, basic water and sanitation facilities, as well as schools, need to be provided on the site around Ugumu village, between Gherenfit and Awgaro. Before that, however, funding has to be found to provide these facilities. "The timing is absolutely essential," said Nhongo. "We need to get them there in time for the schooling, also the beginning of the planting season is very critical." If the facilities were not in place, the expellees would have to remain where they were for another year, Nhongo told IRIN. At the moment, they are only receiving 60 percent of normal food rations, due to a lack of funding for food aid. While some of them had livestock and cattle, and others small businesses, others were going hungry every day, he said.