Browsing by Author "Tadesse, Eyael"

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    The Impact of Refugess on Host Communities: A Case Study of South Sudanese Refugees in Gambella People’s National Regional State
    (Addis Ababa University, 2016-06) Tadesse, Eyael
    This study explored the impact of South Sudanese refugees on the host community of Gambella People’s National Regional State (GPNRS). Following the outbreak of the second Sudanese civil war (1983) and the recent civil war of South Sudan (2013), there has been a continuous influx of South Sudanese refugees into Gambella region. The region is situated in close proximity to neighboring South Sudan where the majority of refugees originate. Currently Gambella host close to 300, 000 refugees majority of whom are South Sudanese. Such large-scale refugee influx severely affected the region in general and the host community in particular. The study utilized qualitative method and non-probability sampling technique to select informants. By conducting interviews and focus group discussions with a total of 29 informants from the host community of Gambella, South Sudanese refugees as well as government and non-government actors of relevance, the study has examined the important points delimited in the research. The finding of the study revealed not only the burden or the challenges but also some of the advantages and benefits experienced by the host community of Gambella following the South Sudanese refugee influx. The refugee influx brought social, economic, security, environmental, and demographic impacts in the region. Notably, the positive impact is seen in terms of socio-economic aspects and the negative implication is primarily indicated in terms of widening ethnic divergence among the host community and heightening inter-ethnic conflict between the host community of Gambella and South Sudanese refugees; thereby affected the region’s security. Of equal importance is exploring the complex relationship between the refugees and host communities of Gambella. In this regard, the interplay of several elements such as ethnic identity and socio-economic aspects is seen to determine the impacts as well as the level of interaction between refugees and host communities in the region.