HEALTH ASPECTS OF REPATRIATION OF EX-SOLDIERS

Abstract

In May 1991 the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) forces defeated the military force of the previous government. These defeated soldiers were found scattered allover the country with a higher concentration in the northern part, mainly in the regions of Eritrea, Tigrai, Gondar, Gojam and Wollo. The scenario of the situation just after the war was that the vanquished soldiers were left stranded in different areas; some on the move to the nearest towns on foot in large groups, and others confined to certain areas under captivity. It is to these military forces of the previous government that the reference is made as ex-soldiers.
In June 1991, the International Committee of the Red Cross Society (ICRC) and the Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS) engaged themselves in the repatriation process of the ex-soldiers. With the permission and assistance of the EPRDF, the work of repatriation started in June 1991. In the repatriation, the staffs of the Ministry of Health, ERCS and ICRC were involved actively, while the involvement of the Red Cross youth volunteers is also worth mentioning. By December 231991, a total of 222,373 ex-service men had been repatriated by the joint operations (Annex).