Inter Communal Conflicts (2017-2018) and the Protection of IDPs in Ethiopia: The Need for Specific Legal and Institutional Regime

The increasing number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), and the gap in the legal and institutional framework for the protection scheme, remains a concern in Ethiopia.  It is well established that inter-communal conflict forced thousands of people to flee their homes. This article assesses the adequacy of the national framework for the protection of IDPs. Specifically, it investigates whether the national response for disasters accommodates the needs of inter-communal conflict induced IDPs. In this context, the term IDPs is defined as provided in the UN Guiding principles on Internal Displacement. In order to determine how the national response works for plight of IDPs, questionnaires were distributed to the concerned government authorities, and the joint reports of government and international organizations was reviewed from online data sources. Results showed that there was no comprehensive legal and institutional framework and coordination system to address the protection and assistance needs of inter-communal conflict induced IDPs in Ethiopia in the year 2017-2018. These results suggest that the needs of IDPs could be addressed more effectively, with a national action plan or policy framework, and institutional scheme for IDPs.