SOCIO-CULTURAL DIMENSIONS OF DISPLACEMENT: THE CASE OF DISPLACED PERSONS IN ADDIS ABABA

Abstract

It is estimated that 1.67 million Ethiopians were displaced between 1991 and 1994. The wars between Ethiopia and Eritrea, for example, resulted in the displacement of thousands of families from their homes in Eritrea. Some of these persons have been rehabilitated and reintegrated into their respective communities. But an overwhelming majority is still living in tents, Kebele Halls, grain stores, plastic shelters, and on streets. At present, they are living in untold misery. Despite the magnitude of the problems of displaced persons (commonly called the `tefenakkai', literally `the uprooted'), there is no adequate or comprehensive information on their social and economic situation. In the absence of this, it is difficult to plan long-term rehabilitation programs, which are instrumental for reduction of urban impoverishment and anomie. In Ethiopia, very little attention has been accorded to displacement - a social process that disrupts social order. This paper tries to address the socio-cultural dimensions of displacement in Addis Ababa, with particular reference to the Mekanissa-Qorre area. This group is the largest of the 16 similar displaced groups in the city. Women and children who constitute the largest part of the displaced receive a special emphasis in this paper.