By Mohamed Abdi - Reporter
Ethiopia, May 8, 2026 Officials from member states of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development met in Jigjiga in eastern Ethiopia this week to discuss regional responses to forced displacement and the integration of displaced communities into urban areas, according to Djibouti’s state news agency ADI.
The three-day meeting brought together mayors, regional administrators, refugee agencies and international partners from across the Horn of Africa.
ADI said the event was organized by IGAD in partnership with Cities Alliance, the European Union, UNOPS and Ethiopian authorities.
Participants discussed long-term responses to displacement, rapid urbanization and access to essential public services.
According to IGAD and regional humanitarian agencies, more than 22 million people across parts of the Horn of Africa were living in forced displacement by mid-2025, including nearly 17 million internally displaced people.
The region also hosts millions of refugees and asylum seekers, with conflict, drought and economic pressures continuing to drive displacement across Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan and Ethiopia.
A Djiboutian delegation led by Ali Sabieh regional prefect Abdoulmalik Mohamed Banoita attended the meeting alongside officials from Tadjourah, Obock and Djibouti’s refugee agency ONARS, ADI reported.
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Speaking on behalf of IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu, Ambassador Moussa Meigague, director of IGAD’s Health and Social Development Division, said cities were increasingly becoming central to regional migration and displacement challenges.
“Local authorities are today at the forefront of ensuring access to essential services, strengthening social cohesion and promoting economic and social integration of displaced communities,” he said, according to ADI.
Officials highlighted the experience of Jigjiga, capital of Ethiopia’s Somali regional state, which has experienced increasing population movements linked to conflict, drought and urban growth.Jigjiga Mayor Shaafi Ahmed Macalin said cities across the region were facing growing pressure from displacement.
“Across the IGAD region, millions of people are on the move. These are not just numbers, but families seeking safety, dignity and a better future,” he said, according to ADI.
The discussions focused on migration-linked urbanization, protection of displaced communities, social cohesion and inclusive municipal planning.
ADI also reported that Ethiopian officials presented reforms to the country’s refugee policy, including efforts to move away from camp-based systems toward integrated community approaches.
According to organizers, the meeting forms part of the European Union-funded SUIDAC initiative, which aims to strengthen municipal capacity, improve urban planning and support regional policy dialogue on displacement and urban growth across the Horn of Africa.