I. Introduction
In Africa, ongoing and new emergencies caused large-scale displacement in 2010 and 2011. In southern and central Somalia, in addition to drought and emerging famine, fighting led to mass movements within the country and across borders, straining services and facilities in already overcrowded camps in Ethiopia,
Djibouti and Kenya. In Côte d’Ivoire, in December 2010, more than 150,000 refugees crossed the border into neighbouring countries, as a result of political instability.The absence of a solution to the Somalia crisis and growing security concerns in the region resulted in a shrinking of asylum space for Somali refugees. In many countries, domestic pressure to reduce the presence of foreign nationals led to restricted access to asylum procedures and the forcible return of people with potential protection needs. The security of displaced persons and of humanitarian personnel was also at risk, and access to beneficiaries was impeded by violence and general lawlessness in several countries. The drawdown of peacekeeping missions in key operations raised concerns regarding the security frameworks that make the delivery of humanitarian aid possible.
In sub-Saharan Africa, from 2000 to 2009, the number of refugees declined but in 2010 that trend was reversed owing to new or ongoing conflicts in various parts of the continent. By the end of 2010, there were close to 2.2 million refugees in sub-Saharan Africa, primarily from Somalia (477,100), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (441,000) and the Sudan (351,600), making the region host to one fifth of the world’s refugees.
Owing to the escalation of violence in southern and central Somalia, as well as the effects of climate change, more than 119,000 Somalis were forced to leave their homes in 2010 and to seek refuge abroad, mainly in Ethiopia and Kenya. By the end of 2010, Kenya was the sixth largest host country for refugees in the world, with a displaced population of almost 403,000. In Chad, the refugee population increased to 348,000 by the end of 2010 as a result of an influx of refugees from the Central African Republic and the Sudan. In Ethiopia, refugee numbers have nearly doubled since 2008 owing to the arrival of tens of thousands of Eritrean and Somali refugees.
There are currently an estimated 11.1 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in sub-Saharan Africa, representing 40 per cent of the world’s internally displaced population. More than 40 per cent of the internally displaced population of Africa is in the Sudan, with about 5 million in various regions. The displaced population in the Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia together represented more than 70 per cent of all internally displaced persons in Africa.
In 2010, in response to 29 inter-agency appeals, approximately $6.9 billion was received for humanitarian needs in Africa, including activities related to the Somalia emergency; the extension of the Ifo refugee camp in Kenya; and the influx of refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the Central African Republic and the Congo.
The Central Emergency Response Fund was instrumental in ensuring a fast response to emergencies and underfunded programmes for refugees and internally displaced persons. Twenty-three of the 46 countries that received support from the Fund were in Africa and $162.6 million, 51 per cent of total funding, was mainly used for food and health activities. Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya and the Sudan received 59 per cent of the total funding allocated to Africa.
The Fund also provided financial aid to address emerging situations in Benin and Côte d’Ivoire.