Administrative Zone 2 (since May 2006 known as Kilbet Rasu) is one of five Zones of the Afar Region of Ethiopia. This zone is bordered on the south by Administrative Zone 4, on the southwest by Administrative Zone 1, on the west by the Amhara Region, and on the northeast by Eritrea. The administrative center of Zone 2 is Abala (also known in the highlands as Shiket). Also located in this zone is the former mining settlement of Dallol, which set the record for the hottest inhabited place on Earth, with an average temperature of 34° C.
Zone 2 Administrator: Hussein Nur Omar
Prior to the adoption of the 1995 constitution, a portion of this Zone (particularly the northern part) was part of Tigray Province.[1] As a result, a UNDP mission visiting the Zone described it as "the most isolated zone of the Afar National Regional State", at the time showing signs of "suffered heavily from bombardment, as well as from general neglect. Much of the remaining infrastructure dates from the Haile Selassie era."[2]
At the time the UNDP visited, they observed two major socio-political issues in the Zone. The first was a smoldering conflict between the Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front (ARDUF) and government forces. The ARDUF conducted sporadic attacks on government military forces and officials and competed for control of the salt trade. In response, the military closed markets at Berhale, Garamoyti, Gaharta, ‘Ala, Mergis and Dande, and schools in at least three woredas. The second was the continued influx of rural Afar, primarily nomads, from Eritrea. These new arrivals claimed to be fleeing the Eritrean government’s recent enforcement of its National Service programme and a parallel agenda of disarmament. Despite a lack of external assistance, these refugees were given assistance and shelter due to clan ties between them and the locals.[2]
Based on figures from the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this zone has an estimated total population of 272,023, of whom 147,556 are men and 124,467 are women; 7,299 or 2.7% of its population are urban dwellers. Information is not available for the area of this Zone, so the population density cannot be calculated.[3]
The 1996 national census reported a total population for this Zone of 218,721, of whom 121,598 were men and 97,123 women; 4,990 or 2.3% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The major ethnic groupings in 1996 were 97.73% Afar and 2.16% Tigrean. Of the school-age school-age children, 2.31 (3.25% male and 1.10% female) were currently attending school, which is lower than the Regional average; 4.16% of the total population over the age of 10 (6.26% male and 1.5% female) are reported to be literate.[4]
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