Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to assess the opportunities and challenges of the Tierkidi Camp
Refugees-Host communities’ interactions in Itang Special Woreda, Gambella Region. To conduct
this study, mixed research methodology was employed. Structured questionnaires, interviews and
focus group discussion were the main research methods to collect data. Thus, stratified simple
random sampling techniques was employed to select all target groups who participate through
filling in questionnaires; besides, purposive sampling techniques were used to select participants
in the interview who participate in the interview and focus group discussion. The collected data
were analyzed using descriptive and thematic data analysis. Thus, the result identifies the status
of the host communities’ and refugee’s social interaction. In this case the areas of social
interaction are education, health, transportation, and other services have taken as to enable the
opportunities among these two communities. However, the presence of refugee in that area has
many challenges to the host communities. Those are shortage of transportation, inflation,
shortage of water service and other social services. Based on these findings, some applicable
references were forwarded to strength the opportunities and to minimize the challenges faced by
stakeholders in Itang Special Woreda. The issues were to reduce overcrowded populations in the
town, to advisable the Woreda administration to identify the main challenge in the areas,
appropriate to recommend the NGOs provision services to the host communities. Therefore, a
researcher recommended that the Woreda Administration, ARRA, Non-governmental, and
Regional Council must focus to minimize issues affected the host community and Tierkidi
Refugee Camp.
