from ADANE BIKILA in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
ADDIS ABABA, (CAJ News) – ETHIOPIA has received more than 15 000 returnees since the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
These returnees include thousands of irregular and undocumented migrants that lost their livelihoods in the Middle East due to the eruption of the global health crisis.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and other humanitarian organisations facilitated the returnees’ arrival in the East African country.
A majority are young women who were working in the Middle East.
These countries include Kuwait, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia .
All returnees are now in government-led quarantine centres.
“The quarantine centre is the most critical part of the journey for returning migrants amid the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Milun Jovanovic, the Head of Operations at IOM Ethiopia.
“We are doing our best to provide all the necessary items at quarantine centres together with the government and streamlining efforts by other United Nations agencies and non-governmental organisations.”
IOM also is providing travel allowances for migrants to get back to their towns and villages across the country, after leaving quarantine.
Africa’s second-most populous country with 112 million people, Ethiopia has confirmed 2 336 cases and 32 deaths from COVID-19. The pandemic was confirmed to have reached Ethiopia on March 13.
– CAJ News