The Eritrean Government significantly restricts humanitarian access, and there is very little information on humanitarian needs. A one-party state governs the country; elections have not been held since 1993, when the country gained independence from Ethiopia. Human rights violations, including arbitrary detention, indefinite national/military service, and extrajudicial killings have been reported. These human rights abuses have driven international displacement to other countries. By mid-2022, there were nearly 578,000 Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers in various countries, with many taking refuge in Ethiopia and Sudan.
High tensions between Eritrea and neighbouring Djibouti,
Ethiopia, and Sudan have previously escalated into armed conflict. War between Eritrea and Ethiopia from 1998–2000 resulted in an estimated 70,000 deaths and high levels of international displacement. Tensions remained high between the two countries until their Governments signed the Joint Declaration of Peace and Friendship in July 2018. In the Tigray war in Ethiopia, from December 2020 until December 2022, Eritrean troops took an active military stance against the Tigray People's Liberation Front.
Eritrea is subject to natural hazards, including cyclical drought, flooding during rainy seasons, and earthquakes. The high frequency of these leaves little recovery time for affected people. In recent years, the country’s climatic conditions have put a strain on the coping capacities of the population, which is largely dependent (80%) on subsistence agriculture.
(OHCHR 26/06/2018, UNHCR accessed 15/03/2023, UNICEF 22/02/2023, BBC 13/01/2023, ICG accessed 15/03/2023).
The Eritrean Government significantly restricts humanitarian access, and there is very little information on humanitarian needs. A one-party state governs the country; elections have not been held since 1993, when the country gained independence from Ethiopia. Human rights violations, including arbitrary detention, indefinite national/military service, and extrajudicial killings have been reported. These human rights abuses have driven international displacement to other countries. By mid-2022, there were nearly 578,000 Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers in various countries, with many taking refuge in Ethiopia and Sudan.
High tensions between Eritrea and neighbouring Djibouti,
Ethiopia, and Sudan have previously escalated into armed conflict. War between Eritrea and Ethiopia from 1998–2000 resulted in an estimated 70,000 deaths and high levels of international displacement. Tensions remained high between the two countries until their Governments signed the Joint Declaration of Peace and Friendship in July 2018. In the Tigray war in Ethiopia, from December 2020 until December 2022, Eritrean troops took an active military stance against the Tigray People's Liberation Front.
Eritrea is subject to natural hazards, including cyclical drought, flooding during rainy seasons, and earthquakes. The high frequency of these leaves little recovery time for affected people. In recent years, the country’s climatic conditions have put a strain on the coping capacities of the population, which is largely dependent (80%) on subsistence agriculture.
(OHCHR 26/06/2018, UNHCR accessed 15/03/2023, UNICEF 22/02/2023, BBC 13/01/2023, ICG accessed 15/03/2023).
