Summary action points based on findings

• Increase the number of prosthetic and orthotic centers to cover all regions and meet the need for affordable mobility devices.
• Fund the sustainable capacity of national disability umbrella organizations to represent the rights of persons with disabilities, including survivors.
• Create economic inclusion opportunities for mine/explosive remnants of war (ERW) survivors, as well as other persons with disabilities, in physically accessible facilities.

Victim assistance commitments

The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia is responsible for landmine survivors, cluster munition victims, and survivors of other ERW. Ethiopia has made a commitment to victim assistance through the Mine Ban Treaty.

Ethiopia ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) on 7 July 2010.

Casualties

Casualties Overview

No mine/ERW casualties were identified in 2014.[1]

The last identified (mine) casualties were in 2010, when two deminers were injured.[2]

There were at least 16,849 casualties (9,431 killed; 7,401 injured; and 17 for whom the outcome was unknown) through the end of 2014. Between 2004 and the end of 2014, the Monitor identified 233 casualties (90 killed; 126 injured; 17 unknown).[3] The most complete single data source remains the Landmine Impact Survey (LIS) completed in 2004, which recorded 16,616 mine/ERW casualties (9,341 killed; 7,275 injured).[4]

Cluster munition casualties

At least 272 casualties occurred during the use of cluster munitions in Mekele and Adigrat, Ethiopia in 1998.[5] No unexploded submunition casualties were recorded.

Victim Assistance

There are at least 7,401 known mine survivors.[6] The total number of mine/ERW survivors in Ethiopia is unknown as there is no centralized data collection; many survivors, particularly veterans, live in urban locations, including the capital, which were not surveyed by the LIS.[7]

Victim assistance since 1999[8]

There was an overall gradual increase of the availability of services in rural and remote areas since 1999. However, many survivors and other persons with disabilities continued to live in poverty and far from existing facilities, which prevented them from accessing these services.

Improvements were made in healthcare coverage and emergency response through long-term health sector development plans linked to Ethiopia’s poverty reduction strategy. Throughout the period of victim assistance monitoring, physical rehabilitation was limited and services were concentrated in urban areas. Most service users, particularly persons with disabilities living in rural areas, had difficulty in getting to physical rehabilitation centers and had hardly any access to services. Improvements in the quality and accessibility of physical rehabilitation services were reported since 2009, though challenges in accessibility remained.

Throughout the period, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MoLSA) was responsible for national coordination of the physical rehabilitation sector and for issues concerning persons with disabilities more broadly, while services were coordinated by the regional Bureaus of Labor and Social Affairs offices (BoLSAs) with support from the ICRC. MoLSA’s coordination of the disability sector, including victim assistance, improved markedly since 2009 and was prioritized in the development of strategies and plans. In the period before 2009, victim assistance and disability issues were not prioritized in Ethiopia because of critical development conditions overall, poor coordination among key actors, and a lack of capacity. The adoption of the National Plan of Action on Disability 2012–2021 was a critical step in increasing progress in victim assistance and upholding the rights of persons with disabilities more generally.

Psychosocial support and economic reintegration services, mostly operated by NGOs, remained limited and were inadequate to deal with the needs of mine/ERW survivors and other persons with disabilities. The availability of economic inclusion services was significantly reduced from 2009 due to the closure of Landmine Survivors Network/Survivor Corps Ethiopia. In 2014, former Landmine Survivors Network staff established the Survivors Recovery and Rehabilitation Organization (SRaRO) to provide psychosocial support to landmine survivors and amputees.[9]

Victim assistance in 2014

In 2014, there were no significant changes in the quality and accessibility of services available to mine/ERW survivors or other persons with disabilities with similar needs for assistance. Thanks to additional funding, some NGOs were able to increase the numbers of people served under existing programs through geographic expansion or by expanding the range of services offered, but the overall impact for survivors and other persons was minimal.

Assessing victim assistance needs

In 2014, MoLSA and the Central Statistics Authority collaborated on a plan to include disability-specific information in the national census to take place in 2016. In the census reports, data will be disaggregated by disability. No other assessment activities took place in 2014.[10]

As conflict continued in neighboring Sudan and South Sudan, Ethiopia’s Administration for Refugees and Returnees Affairs (ARRA) was expected to face significant needs from persons with disabilities and landmine survivors among the refugee population. As of May 2015, more than 200,000 refugees from South Sudan were living in camps in Ethiopia and ARRA does not have the disaggregated data necessary to ensure targeted services are available to those who may need them.[11]

Victim assistance coordination[12]

Ethiopia has reported that there is no specific victim assistance program and that the needs of mine/ERW survivors are addressed through programs for persons with disabilities more generally.[13]

MoLSA is responsible for issues relating to persons with disabilities, including mine/ERW survivors, and is the international focal point for victim assistance. However, there is no single point of contact for disability issues within MoLSA. BoLSAs, in each region of the country, managed disability-related issues in a regional context using the MoLSA policy framework.[14] BoLSAs are responsible for coordinating both public and private services for persons with disabilities in their respective regions. MoLSA developed national policies with the input of BoLSAs.[15] Other relevant ministries also have disability departments.[16]

However, the field of disability in Ethiopia faces many significant challenges, including limited capacity and resources for both local organizations and the government to achieve their objectives, as well as limited and unbalanced availability of services and support. Although various actors are engaged in addressing disability issues, including local disability organizations as well as international organizations and donors, efforts are generally limited and lack coordination, leaving many gaps and areas that are not adequately addressed.[17]

In 2014, MoLSA established a committee of line ministers, government agency representatives, and disabled persons’ organizations (DPOs), which is responsible for the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the CRPD. This committee receives information from DPOs and other sources, and MoLSA evaluates the progress of the committee. MoLSA also monitored the implementation of Ethiopia’s National Plan of Action for Persons with Disabilities (2012–2021) with the relevant ministries and administrative units.[18] In addition to the meetings hosted by MoLSA, the ministries of education and health and the micro and small-scale enterprise agency hosted disability planning and coordination meetings with participation from DPOs.[19]

MoLSA conducted a number of meetings, workshops, and training sessions during 2014 in order to enhance coordination and planning. The State Minister of MoLSA hosted quarterly meetings of DPOs to enable DPOs to participate in the development and monitoring of annual plans related to the National Plan of Action.[20] MoLSA conducted training for lawyers, judges, and others to raise awareness and understanding of disability and educate the legal field about the CRPD and relevant national laws and policies. MoLSA also held training-of-trainers for regional focal persons on implementation of the Convention. In collaboration with Handicap International (HI), MoLSA conducted training on disability inclusion and access within the context of national proclamation #568/2000, on the right to employment of persons with disabilities. Additional training informed contractors and engineers on how to implement the national proclamation ensuring accessibility of buildings.[21]

The National Council of Persons with Disabilities was responsible for coordinating, evaluating, and monitoring the implementation of the CRPD. Council members were drawn from relevant ministries, NGOs, DPOs, and other stakeholders.[22] The National Council of Persons with Disabilities, established in accordance with Article 33 of the CRPD, meets monthly at the directorate level, every six months at the level of the state minister, and also holds an annual meeting at MoLSA. It is chaired by the minister of MoLSA and attended by the two state ministers and provides disability stakeholders with a means to provide feedback.[23]

There are three national strategic plans relevant to victim assistance: the Growth and Transformation Plan, 2010/11–2014/15; the National Plan of Action on Disability, 2012–2021; and a five-year National Physical Rehabilitation Strategy. The National Physical Rehabilitation Strategy was included in the National Social Welfare Policy in 2010 and a plan of action for the practical implementation of the National Physical Rehabilitation Strategy was drafted and under discussion in 2012.[24]

Ethiopia provided updates on victim assistance activities within the national disability framework at the Thirteenth Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in December 2013, but not at the Third Review Conference of the Mine Ban Treaty in June 2014. Ethiopia has not reported on victim assistance in accordance with the Mine Ban Treaty’s Article 7 since 2009.[25]

Participation and inclusion in victim assistance

Representatives of organizations of persons with disabilities were included in coordination activities of MoLSA and the National Council of Persons with Disabilities and as members of various technical committees.[26] In January 2014, MoLSA and a national NGO, Yitawekilgn Yeakal Gudatagnoch Mehiber (YYGM), held consultations about the development of a proposal for establishing a national landmine survivors association. However, since Landmine Survivors Network/Survivor Corps closed down in 2009, survivors were not specifically represented in coordination.[27] Mine/ERW survivors were active members of DPOs operating in the country.[28]

Persons with disabilities were included among the staff and volunteers and in the implementation of services of many NGOs and DPOs. There was progress and improvement in the participation of persons with disabilities and DPOs in coordination, but it was still generally believed that not enough had been done to ensure active involvement of persons with disabilities. More consultation with persons with disabilities and their representative organizations was needed as well as their more active involvement in relevant decision-making processes at all levels.[29]

Mine/ERW survivors were not included on delegations at international meetings in 2014.

Service accessibility and effectiveness

Victim assistance activities[30]

The Ethiopian Center for Disabilities and Development published a catalogue of providers for disability-related services. The catalogue listed names and contact information for service providers and described the services on offer.[31] To improve knowledge and awareness of disability issues and on the CRPD, the International Labour Organization published a “pocket guide,” which MoLSA distributed to government ministries and regional authorities. For the broader public, MoLSA established a media forum of public and private media firms working in print and electronic media to facilitate access to information for persons with disabilities.[32]

Medical care and rehabilitation

Many hospitals in Addis Ababa, including Zewditu Hospital, the city’s largest public facility, are inaccessible to persons with physical disabilities.[33] The government launched a new insurance program designed for poor individuals, which is expected to increase access to medical services, including those for persons with disabilities.[34]

Physical rehabilitation including prosthetics

Ethiopia lacks enough physical rehabilitation centers to meet demand. There were at least 14 functioning centers, the government-run Prosthetic and Orthotic Center, three centers run by Cheshire Services Ethiopia, and 10 ICRC-supported facilities.[35] The physical rehabilitation services available in the country were limited and remain concentrated in the urban areas. Owing to their isolated geographical situation, most persons with disabilities living in rural areas had hardly any access to physical rehabilitation services, and those in most need had great difficulty in getting to the rehabilitation centers.[36] MoLSA, with technical advice from the ICRC, continued to work on plans to implement the National Physical Rehabilitation Strategy. These included establishing a training structure for prosthetic/orthotic technicians at an existing college and developing a national supply chain for orthotic and prosthetic materials.[37]

In 2014, the number of prostheses delivered for mine/ERW survivors by ICRC-supported rehabilitation centers decreased to the lowest reported number in six years of tracking.[38] ICRC support to physical rehabilitation centers continued to include funding, resources, on-the-job supervision, and training. In 2014, seven ICRC-funded graduates in prosthetics and orthotics returned to their respective regions; 15 others proceeded with additional training.[39] Support from ICRC and Ethiopia was also provided for the establishment of three new physical rehabilitation services in Assosa, Gambella, and Nekemte, in the remote and border regions of western Ethiopia. The Nekemte facility is operational while the Assosa and Gambella facilities require additional staffing and funding.[40] Cheshire Services Ethiopia (CSE) trained staff members on wheelchair provision. Handicap International built the capacity of physiotherapists at the hospitals it supported.

CSE reported a significant increase in victim assistance services in the Somali Region as a result of expansion of the mobile outreach program providing wheelchairs. Through its prosthetic and orthotic centers, CSE delivered over 10,000 assistive devices and provided physical rehabilitation services.[41]

HI continued its national rehabilitation project assisting nine hospitals. It continued its existing prosthetic and orthotic rehabilitation program, and also increased services in the Dollo Ado and Filtu Woredy camps for Somali refugees in the Ethiopia Somali region, including prosthetics and orthotics. The Dollo Ado project provided physiotherapy services, prosthetics, and other mobility aids through a bi-weekly mobile outreach unit supported by HI, ICRC, CSE, and the Rehabilitation and Development Organization (RaDO).[42]

The ICRC’s priority areas for implementation of the National Physical Rehabilitation Strategy included the development of a national supply chain for importing orthopedic components and raw materials as well as establishing a permanent training structure for prosthetic and orthotic technicians. In 2014, negotiations and planning with Addis Ababa University progressed significantly towards the establishment of a degree program in prosthetics and orthotics that would meet the need.[43]

Economic and social inclusion

Some improvements in the quality of economic inclusion and psychological assistance for mine/ERW survivors were reported. However, the need for services remained far greater than the support and assistance available. There were few employment or training opportunities for persons with disabilities and few centers that offered physically accessible facilities.[44]

The ECDD extended its partnership agreement with the Abilis Foundation, Finland, which designated

it as the representative NGO and facilitator for the foundation in Ethiopia. Three new Abilis Manuals were translated from English into Amharic and the ECDD began distributing the manuals to DPOs to make them aware about how Abilis works. In consultation with the ECDD and Association of Ethiopian Microfinance Institutions, the National Bank of Ethiopia issued a directive that requires micro-finance institutes to incorporate disability-disaggregated data in their reports to ensure the inclusion of persons with disabilities in their service provision. The ECDD also registered cooperatives of persons with disabilities and provided basic business skills training.[45]

The Global Coordinator for Disability and Inclusive Development at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Charlotte McClain-Nhlapo, announced the expansion of Handicap International’s program to make schools in Ethiopia more accessible and inclusive. The program was planned to expand from six schools in 2014 to 49 and involves modifications for physical accessibility as well as initiatives to combat stigma.[46]

The ECDD launched the Threshold project with support from the Threshold Association of Finland to make higher education in Ethiopia inclusive. Working with Addis Ababa University, Hawasa University, and Mekele University, the project raises awareness about disability and provides peer support and assistance for students with disabilities.[47]

Economic opportunities for landmine survivors and persons with disabilities remained limited. The ECDD’s Threshold project provides job searching and entrepreneurship training for graduating university students with disabilities. The ECDD also ran five projects focusing on skills training and improving access to formal and self-employment.[48] Some BoLSAs provide credit schemes and revolving funds to persons with disabilities to help income-generating activities.[49] In Dire Dawa, Handicap International supported landmine survivors and persons with disabilities through a livelihoods program.[50] EWDNA provided training to female survivors and women with disabilities in pastry preparation.[51]

Ethiopia has at least nine CBR programs.[52] However, the support that these programs offered to mine/ERW survivors continued to be limited due to funding constraints.[53] The ICRC provided 24 wheelchairs to the Ethiopian Basketball Federation (EBF) and worked with EBF to adopt wheelchair basketball as one of its supported programs, ensuring sustainability of this social inclusion opportunity.[54]

The Prosthetic and Orthotic Center hosted a celebration of the International Day for Mine Action and Awareness in collaboration with SRaRO. The event, themed “Commit to Complete,” was attended by a representative of MoLSA, landmine survivors, and NGOs.[55]

ICRC supported several programs on 3 December 2014, the annual celebration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The ICRC and EBF hosted an exhibition of sports for persons with disabilities at EBF’s headquarters. The new rehabilitation facility in Nekemte hosted an event to introduce its programs to the community and in Oromia, the Oromia BoLSA held an awareness-raising activity.[56]

Laws and policies

The Charities and Societies Proclamation of February 2009 forbids international and Ethiopian Resident Charity NGOs operating on disabilities from engaging in advocacy on human rights issues, including promoting the rights of persons with disabilities, if they receive more than 10% of their funding from foreign sources. During the June 2014 meetings of the CRPD, the executive director of the Ethiopian Center for Disabilities and Development, Yetnebersh Nigussie, pointed out that because of the law, there is no mechanism for ensuring accountability for Ethiopia’s laws that mandate inclusion of persons with disabilities. Nigussie described the “checklist” devised by Ethiopia’s parliament to hold decision-makers accountable for inclusion of persons with disabilities, but Nigussie noted that without a civil society to use that checklist, the government’s actions are ineffective for promoting inclusion.[57]

Ethiopian law mandates building accessibility and accessible toilet facilities for persons with physical disabilities, although specific regulations that define the accessibility standards were not adopted.[58] In 2014, many groups reported improvements in the physical accessibility of buildings in Ethiopia as a result of the building code. Workshops were held to raise awareness among regulatory bodies and construction firms.[59] To improve accessibility of transportation, MoLSA and the Ministry of Transportation have made “tremendous efforts” to ensure that the newly opened light rail system in Addis Ababa is physically accessible. MoLSA and the Ministry of Transportation also signed a memorandum of understanding to improve accessibility of transportation more generally in Ethiopia, and the Ministry of Transportation has prepared mobile ramps to make buses in Addis Ababa more accessible.[60]