The first three camps I visited were in the Asosa Zone in the Benishangul-Gumuz region of western Ethiopia and are currently home to over 35, refugees. I joined the Joint Assessment Mission or JAM which every two years looks to assess the situation of refugee camps across the country.
Our team was made up of members from all partners and organisations that work in the camps. The JAM assesses and reviews primary and secondary information on the provision of assistance to refugees and then makes recommendations for improvements. All three camps are remarkably different but the majority of refugees are from Sudan.
Save the Children has been working in the region with refugees for 20 years. Sherkole is the oldest camp β it was established in October and was the first camp I visited.
It really feels more like a village than what I imagined a refugee camp would be, with most people living in houses built in a similar fashion to those in the surrounding communities.
But the age of the camp is clear in the dilapidated buildings that are no longer safe for children to play and learn in. More support is desperately needed. Refugees have moved between Sudan and western Ethiopia in line with periods of peace and conflict in both countries.
