Ethiopia
Insecurity, a challenging economic situation and the devastating impact of climate change have exacerbated the need for humanitarian assistance in the country
Hawa, mother of ten, fled violence in Sudan with her children and 80-year-old mother. She now lives in the Kurmuk transit centre in northwestern Ethiopia.
Last updated: 23 January 2026
Photo: © UNHCR/Tiksa Negeri
Please help families like Hawa’s who have lost everything.
Protection
including legal aid, psychosocial support and child protection
Shelter
to help families who have lost their homes
Food and security
to assist refugees arriving with nothing
What’s happening in Ethiopia?
Ethiopia has a long tradition of providing protection for refugees and asylum-seekers from neighbouring countries. With over1 million refugees, Ethiopia is one of the largest refugee-hosting countries in Africa and the world. Alongside this, almost 2 million families in Ethiopia have been forced to flee their homes and move to other areas of the country due to ongoing conflicts and climate change.
The country is also grappling with insecurity in parts of the country, as well as a challenging economic situation with a rising inflation rate and the devastating impact of climate change with prolonged drought and floods. Despite these challenges, Ethiopia has consistently maintained an open-door policy to refugees.
Severe cuts in global funding in 2025 have had a profound impact on humanitarian programs in Ethiopia, leading to critical gaps in the delivery of life saving assistance, including disruptions in food aid delivery and other essential assistance and services.
We urgently need your support to reach as many families as we can with the help they desperately need.
How many refugees does Ethiopia host?
As of 2025, Ethiopia is Africa’s third-largest host of refugees. Ethiopia hosts over 1.1 million refugees and asylum-seekers, the majority of whom are from South Sudan, followed by Somalia, Eritrea and Sudan.
Alongside this, there are also almost 2 million people displaced within Ethiopia. Conflict has internally displaced 1.7 million people, whilst natural disasters have internally displaced 173,000 individuals.
Are people from Sudan fleeing to Ethiopia?
Since conflict broke out in Sudan in April 2023, close to 100,000 individuals in need of international protection crossed the border into Ethiopia, as of November 2025. Due to the continued escalation of fighting in Sudan, it is expected that more refugees will continue crossing the border to seek safety in Ethiopia in 2026.
The Government of Ethiopia’s Refugees and Returnees Service and UNHCR, in close collaboration with regional and local authorities and other partners, established new refugee settlements in the Amhara and Benishangul-Gumuz Regions to provide protection and solutions services for newly arrived refugees.
Where are Ethiopian families fleeing to?
There are 15,000 refugees and asylum-seekers from Ethiopia in neighbouring countries, such as Sudan, Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti and South Sudan. Following the eruption of conflict in Sudan, thousands of Ethiopian refugees have returned, with the majority currently residing in the Tigray region in Northern Ethiopia.
What others kind of support is UNHCR providing?
UNHCR’s Ethiopia operation focuses on emergency response, protection and supporting displaced communities to become self-reliant.
UNHCR and partners are working to ensure that both refugees and host communities receive assistance. UNHCR is also coordinating the provision of healthcare, enrolling women and children in public universities and schools and providing vital shelter and protection assistance. Recognising the need for long-term sustainability, UNHCR continues to expand access to alternative cooking fuels and solar power for healthcare centres.
As of 30 November 2025, UNHCR had only received 29% of its total funding requirement of $434.5 million for its operations in Ethiopia.
What about gender-based violence?
Women and girls are at heightened risk of gender-based violence and other human rights violations, including deprivation, insecurity, abuse and neglect. In particular, women and girls fleeing Sudan have reported shocking levels of gender-based violence.
UNHCR and partners are working across Ethiopia to provide prevention, awareness and response services – this includes dignity kits, psychosocial support and training on protection from sexual exploitation and abuse.
Where can I access the latest data and reports?
Ethiopia Situation Portal – for latest updates on the situation overall, including UNHCR situation reports, funding requirements and UNHCR’s support for neighbouring countries taking in refugees from Ethiopia.
Ethiopia Operations – for latest on UNHCR’s relief work to protect displaced people inside Ethiopia.