ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Friday announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ethiopian government to strengthen the reintegration of thousands of Ethiopian migrants returning home due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The UN migration agency disclosed on Friday that the agreement "is particularly crucial as the pandemic continues to deepen the already challenging economic and social situation faced by returnees."

The 1 million U.S. dollars project, among other things, envisaged providing cash grants and other forms of support to over 8,000 returning migrants, it was noted.

"The grants will enable returnees to provide food, clothing and other essential items for themselves," the UN migration agency said in a statement issued on Friday.

According to the IOM, priority will be given to vulnerable migrants including victims of trafficking, those disabled, people with medical conditions, and single-headed households.

The agreement was signed by Maureen Achieng, IOM Ethiopia Chief of Mission and Representative to the African Union (AU) and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), and Ergogie Tesfaye, Ethiopian Minister of the Labour and Social Affairs.

"Addressing their needs requires a multi-sectoral approach, well-designed policies, and better resource mobilization," an IOM statement quoted Tesfaye as saying.

The new fund from the agreement is expected to improve referral mechanisms that link returnees with available government assistance programmes, resources, and service providers more effectively.

"The advent of COVID-19 has resulted in additional challenges for migrants, many of whom have lost their jobs and ability to support their families through remittances," said Achieng.

"To successfully support the return process, it is critical that migrants returning home have access to assistance that helps them reach a level of economic self-sufficiency, social stability, and psychosocial well-being that makes potential future migration decisions a matter of choice rather than a desperate necessity," Achieng added.

The agreement is aligned with IOM's Regional Migrant Response Plan (2018-2020), an 84 million U.S. dollars appeal launched in August to provide life-saving assistance to an estimated 235,000 vulnerable migrants in the Horn of Africa and Yemen, it was noted. As part of the plan, the IOM and other partners have adapted alternative methods for reintegrating returnees, given the COVID-19 context. Enditem

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