Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Country Context
Ethiopia is one of Africa’s largest refugee-hosting countries, with refugees living primarily in camps and settlements, alongside host communities and significant internal displacement pressures.
Our work supports the Government of Ethiopia’s pledge at the 2023 Global Refugee Forum to advance digital connectivity for refugees and host communities to boost self-reliance, education, and economic opportunity. The initiative is also aligned with the country’s digitization agenda highlighted in the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework.
CfR’s work advances inclusive connectivity and digital access so displaced people can reach essential services, learning opportunities, and livelihoods while supporting national digital transformation priorities.
Country statistics
Connectivity & Access
Ethiopia has strong nationwide 2G/3G coverage, but 4G coverage and overall internet use remain comparatively low, with the sharpest gaps in remote refugee-hosting areas. Refugees and host communities face additional barriers including limited infrastructure and energy access, affordability constraints, and gender disparities in smartphone ownership and meaningful connectivity uptake.
Our work
Our work is expanding connectivity access and affordability, device ownership, digital skills training, and local capacity building to meet the needs of forcibly displaced and host communities while also advancing sustainable solutions, all informed by timely, refugee-specific data.
Explore our work below:
Connectivity, Needs and Usage Assessment (CoNUA)
We have collaborated with Ethiopia Refugees and Returnees Services and partners to map access, use and barriers and guide a prioritized pipeline of interventions across 15 refugee-hosting sites in June to July 2025, using end-user surveys and FGDs, merchant surveys, and signal-strength mapping to build an evidence base on access, use, and barriers for refugees and host communities. The report can be accessed here.
Community Access
We are strengthening connectivity for schools, health facilities, youth / community centres and shared access points to enable digital education and humanitarian service delivery.
Broadband Map
ITU is mapping infrastructure to guide investment, enhance digital inclusion, and support digital transformation. This also helps identify connectivity gaps affecting refugees and host communities, enabling more targeted, inclusive connectivity planning and policy decisions. More information can be found here.
Skills, Devices & Inclusion
We are promoting digital literacy, affordable devices, internet safety, and pathways to digital services and opportunities, including digital financial inclusion.
Connectivity & Digital Inclusion Working Group
Co-convened with the Ethiopia Refugees and Returnees Services (RRS) and partners, the Group aims to align priorities, mobilize resources, and embed refugee inclusion within national digital plans and sector strategies.
Key Country Partners
Connect with Us
Connect with the Connectivity for Refugees team in Ethiopia below.
Innovation Services in Ethiopia: [email protected]
Enku Stiphanos Teka: [email protected]