Addis Ababa – Over 3.14 million people were internally displaced in more than 2,400 assessed and accessible sites across 10 regions in Ethiopia, according to data collected by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), through its Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) methodology between November 2022 and January 2023. Tigray region was assessed on this round of data collection, but the figures are not included in the national figures due to contextual constraints.

IOM Ethiopia’s National Displacement Report 15 reveals that the main causes of displacement were conflict (59%), drought (25%) and social tension (8%). The highest concentration of IDPs were identified in Somali (40%), Oromia (31%) and Amhara (12%) regions. Close to one third of identified IDPs were displaced due to conflict 1 to 4 years prior to the assessment.

A Village Assessment Survey (VAS) was also carried out during the same period to track returns. The VAS shows that 1.89 Returning Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) were identified in over 1,700 villages across 9 regions. Conflict is the primary initial cause of displacement for 95% of identified returning IDPs. The largest returning IDP caseload is in Amhara region with an estimated total of 1.4 M returning IDPs.

The data is only indicative of the displacement in areas accessible to IOM enumerators and which fall under the tools’ methodology of assessing locations with at least 20 households with IDPs or returning IDPs (who have returned since 1 January 2021). Many locations remain out of reach to partners due to insecurity, road inaccessibility and social tension.

Since 2016, IOM has been monitoring the humanitarian and displacement situation through area-based assessments, which capture the number of displaced persons, their locations and needs, to inform the wider humanitarian and development response. 

IOM will continue to expand its assessment coverage across the country so that the needs of more IDPs can be assessed. Since 2018, DTM has been the official source for displacement data in Ethiopia and works with the Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commission. 

IOM Ethiopia’s National Displacement Report 15 (November 2022 to January 2023) can be found here. 

IOM DTM Site Assessment and Village Assessment Survey activities are funded by USAID, the US Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), and the Government of Germany.