Determinant of Food Aid Access Among South Sudanese Refugees in Gambella Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

The war in South Sudan escalated due to the lack of a professionalized and institutionalized army, leading to the organization of militia-based armed units along ethnic lines. Consequently, conflicts and crises often force people to leave their households in search of shelter and security in refugee camps or other countries. The primary aim of this study was to determine food aid access among South Sudanese refugees in the Gambella region. A mixed-methods approach was used. A purposive sampling method was used to select four refugee camps, like Jewi, Kule, Tierkidi, and Nguenyiel camps, from the seven refugee camps. The researchers used a systematic random sampling method to select households within each camp. This study used primary and secondary data sources. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics and a binary logit model. The study found that food aid has an impact on refugees in terms of nutritional improvement (38%), (21%) for health improvement, (24%), socioeconomic stability, (6%), psychological well-being, and dependency syndrome (11%) of the sample respondents. Findings from the binary logit model show that market access positively influences refugees’ food aid access (p=0.041), and cultural dietary practices negatively influence refugees’ household food aid access (p=0.005). Non-governmental and international organizations should implement long-term strategies to ensure that refugees have the opportunity to thrive and contribute to society. These methods should include effective needs assessments, food distribution mechanisms, nutritional standards, dietary diversity, cultural sensitivity, community engagement, and monitoring and evaluation.