Livelihood Strategies and Challenges of Eritrean Refugees Vis-Á-Vis the Right to Food and Food Security in Nifas Silk Lafto Sub-City, Addis Ababa
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Date
2020-10
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The main objective of this research is accessing the challenges, strategies of urban Eritrean refugees
in Addis Ababa plus it also appraise the food security status specifically food access among Eritrean
refugees and their perception and practices towards the right to food. In this study the view of
responsible bodies who works closely with the refugees was also examined. The area is purposively
selected based on their numerical upper hand. In this study, data was gathered using both primary
and secondary sources. Qualitative research methodology was employed and descriptive research
was engaged to substantiate the qualitative data collected. Semi-structured interview with 333 refuge
individuals and 26 key informant interviews with refugees and ARRA, UNHCR, NRC, DRC, ZOA and
FAO officials were conducted. It was found out on the study that their reason for migration was the
harsh and unstoppable military service in their country. All the respondent in the study area were
above 18 years old and almost all of them were escaped from the military camps. Remittance is their
major source of income but few of them have families who let them live with them and very few of
them are engaged in informal work. Not having the right to work, language barrier and security
issues are some of the challenges they face in the hosting city. Using empirical methods of analysis
and literature review, it is found that the right to food is violated indirectly when they denied the right
to work and other related rights. The descriptive analysis result showed that 85 % of Eritrean
refugees in the study area were food secure. 11% of them were rarely food secure, the rest 2.4 and 0.9
% of them were moderately and severely food insecure respectively. The research recommended that
the right to work should be granted to the refugees so that they can be self-dependent and less burden
to the hosting city. Responsible bodies (UNHCR, ARRA, NRC and so on) should work together to help
the refugees as well as the hosting country. Policy appliances and frameworks should be applicable
and contextual regarding the right to food.
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Keywords
the right to food, refugees, food security, livelihood and hosting country