UNHCR lauds role of Fayda digital ID in facilitating life for Ethiopia refugees

Thanks to the Fayda digital ID, access to services for refugees hosted by Ethiopia has become much easier, a development which the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has hailed.

Speaking to the Ethiopia News Agency (ENA) recently, the UNHCR Country Representative there, Aissatou M. Ndiaye, noted that the Fayda is also giving refugees a sense of inclusion and an open window to enjoy services which forcibly displaced persons elsewhere are often cut off from.

Ethiopia started issuing digital ID to refugees in 2024 in collaboration with the UNHCR, the objective being to enable them seamlessly access public and private sector services that make their lives less miserable. The country is host to more than one million refugees and asylum seekers mainly from the four neighbouring around it.

This, government officials say, has helped many of the refugees to carry out several important transactions including engaging in formal business operations and other income-generating activities.  Thanks to the Fayda, many refugees in Ethiopia are also able to seek appropriate medical care, get children enrolled in schools, and apply for a formal employment. However, there have been concerns about the slow pace of registering refugee children for legal identity.

According to Ndiaye, the Fayda, which is a critical aspect of the Digital Ethiopia 2030 strategy launched at the close of 2025, has proven over time to be central to humanitarian response efforts, not only in Ethiopia but around the world.

“It is impossible to provide effective assistance without an accurate knowledge of the populations concerned. Digital identity is the starting point for sustainable solutions. Fayda provides legal recognition, strengthens the dignity of refugees, and empowers them to take charge of their future while contributing to the development of the host country,” Ndiaye is quoted by ENA as saying.

The official added that the manner in which Ethiopia is using the Fayda to serve refugees can be an example of how other countries on the continent manage their own refugees and forcibly displaced people. Other countries like Cameroon have also received plaudits from the UNHCR for making their legal ID systems inclusive, with refugees being issued national identity cards.

The Ethiopian government considers the Fayda as a critical tool that will serve the long term development and economic growth interest of the country. So far, it has also contributed substantially to the country’s digital transformation, which is now cited as a reference among Horn of Africa nations.

Article Topics

Africa  |  biometrics  |  digital ID  |  Ethiopia  |  Fayda  |  government services  |  humanitarian  |  identity management  |  legal identity  |  refugee registration  |  SDG 16.9  |  UNHCR