Help Ethiopian Refugees Anywhere!
The Petition
July 28, 2008
Mr. António Guterres
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Case Postale 2500
CH-1211 Genève 2 Dépôt
Suisse.
RE: SPECIAL PROBLEMS OF ETHIOPIAN REFUGEES
Dear High Commissioner:
I would like to thank you and your organization, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), for continuing humanitarian support for the refugees and displaced people all over the East African countries. You have demonstrated well servicing the disadvantaged people.
I am writing to you on behalf of Save Ethiopian Refugee International (SERI), which is a non-profit non-political organization located in Washington, D.C, and solely dedicated to bring awareness to the plight of Ethiopian Refugees throughout the world.
As you know, there are hundreds of thousands of Ethiopian Refugees scattered around the world. Recently, on its web site, Refugees International has stated that political and religious persecution has compelled Ethiopians to become refugees around the world. Human Rights Watch in its 2008 report has documented the refugee problem caused by political violence in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia. In the rest of Ethiopia for instance in Oromia, Gambela, Afar, Amhara and Southern regions civilians are fleeing from constant harassment, political repression, and ethnic confl icts, often times described by many Ethiopian Refugees as government instigated. Ethiopians are also driven to cross boarders due to abject poverty and luck of opportunity in their country.
Today many of the Ethiopian Refugees are languishing in many African and Middle Eastern
countries under deplorable conditions, and without adequate assistance from international aid agencies. The current Ethiopian refugees\' situation in Kenya, Libya, Uganda and Yemen is particularly disturbing because of the following reasons, among others, and requires your
immediate attention:
Lack of registration and accountability of Ethiopian refugees.
Arbitrary imprisonment of Ethiopian refugees and denial of due process.
Physical attacks, assaults and unlawful killings of Ethiopian Refugees.
Rise in the incidence of suicide and mental problems among Ethiopian Refugees.
Lack of food and basic necessities among Ethiopian Refugees.
Lack of effective access to grievance procedures.
Denial of resettlement of opportunities
Disappearance and Forceful repatriation of Refugees back to Ethiopia.
Failure of major news outlets covering the plight of Ethiopian refugees.
With the recognition of the work that has been rendered so far by UNHCR, Save Ethiopian
Refugees\' International is compelled to bring these issues to your attention once more, in the
hope of having your offi ce look into them and take further corrective action. We respectfully
request your offi ce to investigate and reassess their situation and respond with proportional
measures accorded under the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention.
We would welcome the opportunity to pursue further discussion and provide supporting
materials to fully portray the current state of the Ethiopian Refugees.
Your response at your early convenience is sincerely appreciated.
Best Regards,
Abebe Belew
Project director
Save Ethiopian Refugees International (SERI)
