Press Statement | November 17, 2021
ECDC Increases Capacity to Resettle Afghan Evacuees by Expanding its Networks
The Ethiopian Community Development Council, Inc. (ECDC) is implementing the Afghan Placement and Assistance (APA) program, which launched September 1. Initially, ECDC was approved to resettle 3,100 individuals across its network of branch offices and affiliated organizations located in 15 cities. To respond to the large number of Afghans requiring resettlement services at once, ECDC has added 7 more placement sites to its network and increased its expected arrival numbers at all sites for an overall target of 6,615 individuals. Two of these sites are ECDC’s newest branch offices, one is a new affiliate organization, and four are community partners who are currently only authorized to deliver the APA program.
“Even before the crisis in Afghanistan, ECDC had been preparing to expand its resettlement network. We had already built relationships with local organizations and communities that we believe have the potential to implement successful refugee resettlement programs,” said Dr. Tsehaye Teferra, ECDC’s President and CEO. “We appreciate the action the government is taking to innovate and quickly approve new sites and approaches for serving Afghans through the APA program and are pleased to officially begin working with our newest partners.”
The names and locations of the agencies recently added to ECDC’s network for the APA program are below.
ECDC’s national staff have been training and supporting these agencies to deliver the program, and some sites are already receiving arrivals. Each local office, together with community stakeholders, will secure housing and basic necessities during the first 30-90 days as well as provide cultural orientation, assistance enrolling in education programs, legal assistance to change their immigration status, employment services, and other referrals as needed by families enrolled in the program. The APA program period has been extended until September 2022; however, the largest number of arrivals are still expected to be resettled before March.