Ethiopia: Election Preparedness – Final Report DREF Operation n° MDRET025
- SITUATION ANALYSIS
Description of the disaster
Ethiopia entered its 2021 election process amidst an increasingly tense political, security, and humanitarian context. As the multi-faceted and polarized situation was foreseen to increase the susceptibility for outbreaks of election-related violence, it was imperative to plan and strengthen preparedness, before, during, and after the elections. As such, this DREF Operation was launched to support the Ethiopia Red Cross Society (ERCS) prepare its branches to mitigate any effects of potential election violence in Amhara, Benishangul-Gumuz, Gambela, Oromia, Sedama, Somali and SNNP regions; Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa and Hareri cities identified as priority hotspots 1.
On 21 June 2021, the country held its sixth national multiparty election after two years delays due to COVID-19 and upon request of National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE). However, the election was not held the same date, 21st June 2021, as earlier planned for all the regions. NEBE postponed the election in 63 constituencies in Harar and Somali regions as well as some polling stations in Amhara, Oromia and Benishangul Gumuz regions to 6 September 2021 due to some irregularities and security issues. Consequently, by the request of ERCS through Operations Update 1 published on 13 July 2021, for a no cost two months extension.
However, on 23 August 2021, the National Elections Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) further postponed the polling date in the abovementioned regions to 30 September 2021, obliging the National Society to extend the operation with Operations Update 2 to 30th October 2021 (one additional month), at no cost.
Despite the historical analysis of the past election in 2005, the 2021 political context, and the activist formation more describe in the EPoA, the election in Ethiopia was peaceful and no major incidents were reported from all the regions. However, the election dragged, and polls held different in days for different regions and polling stations. ERCS has remarkably set an adequate preparedness and surveillance all along.
Source: International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies