Kebri dehar ( so, Qabri-Dahare) is a city in the eastern part of

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the Er ...

known as the

Somali Region The Somali Region ( so, Deegaanka Soomaalida, am, ሱማሌ ክልል, Sumalē Kilil, ar, المنطقة الصومالية), also known as Soomaali Galbeed (''Western Somalia'') and officially the Somali Regional State, is a regional state ...

. Located in the Korahe Zone of the

, this town has a latitude and longitude of and an elevation of 1609 meters above sea level. Kebri Dehar is served by Kebri Dehar Airport (

ICAO The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international ...

code HAKD,

IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is a trade association of the world's airlines founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tariff ...

: ABK). Located in the city are Kabri Dehar University, Kebri Dehar Health-science college, Kebri Dehar teacher Training college, Kebri Dehar polytechnic college, and other institutions such as hospitals.

History

The earliest mention of Kebri Dehar in the Ogaden is in 1931, when it was described as "a soldier's camp" that suffered from

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or deat ...

; although the settlement was 500 meters above the river, the scrub had not been cleared and provided the mosquitoes sufficient cover to reach their victims.Kebri Dehar also means the "land of castles" because it was known for its unique buildings and entrepreneurial leadership that connected the eastern through western merchandise
"Local History in Ethiopia"
The Nordic Africa Institute website (accessed 21 November 2007) According to Margery Perham, prior to the Italo-Abyssinian War, the Italians established a garrison at Kebri Dehar. A Hospital for the town was under construction in 1958, when Emperor

Haile Selassie Haile Selassie I ( gez, ቀዳማዊ ኀይለ ሥላሴ, Qädamawi Häylä Səllasé, ; born Tafari Makonnen; 23 July 189227 August 1975) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He rose to power as Regent Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia (' ...

inspected it during a tour of the

Ogaden Ogaden (pronounced and often spelled ''Ogadēn''; so, Ogaadeen, am, ውጋዴ/ውጋዴን) is one of the historical names given to the modern Somali Region, the territory comprising the eastern portion of Ethiopia formerly part of the Harargh ...

. In 1966 a road was built connecting Kebri Dehar and the new town of Gode. The Ethiopian Road Authority announced a construction project to connect Kebri Dehar with neighbouring towns. One road, to include 113.5 kilometres of paved road and five bridges will connect Kebri Dehar with Shekosh, while a second, which will include the creation of 95 kilometres of paved road and construction of six large and medium bridges, will connect the town to Danan. During the

Ogaden War The Ogaden War, or the Ethio-Somali War (, am, የኢትዮጵያ ሶማሊያ ጦርነት, ye’ītiyop’iya somalīya t’orineti), was a military conflict fought between Somalia and Ethiopia from July 1977 to March 1978 over the Ethiopi ...

in 1977, Kebri Dehar was defended by the Ethiopian Ninth Brigade against the Somali Army before abandoning it in disarray after being defeated by the Somali army who captured the town thereafter. It was recaptured by the Ethiopian Third Paracommando Brigade 8 March 1980.

Demographics

Based on figures from the

Central Statistical Agency The Central Statistical Agency (CSA; Amharic: ማዕከላዊ ስታቲስቲክስ ኤጀንሲ) is an agency of the government of Ethiopia designated to provide all surveys and censuses for that country used to monitor economic and social growth ...

in 2005, Kebri Dahar has an estimated total population of 100,191 of whom 51,327 are men and 48,864 are women. The 1997 census reported this town had a total population of 24,263 of whom 12,768 were men and 11,495 women. The two largest ethnic groups reported in this town were the Somali (89.02%), and the Tigray (2.58%); all other ethnic groups made up 8.4% of the population.''1994 Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia: Results for Somali Region, Vol. 1''
Tables 2.4, 2.14 (accessed 10 January 2009). The results of the 1994 census in the Somali Region were not satisfactory, so the census was repeated in 1997. It is the largest settlement in Kebri Dehar

woreda Districts of Ethiopia, also called woredas ( am, ወረዳ; ''woreda''), are the third level of the administrative divisions of Ethiopia – after '' zones'' and the '' regional states''. These districts are further subdivided into a number of ...

Notes

{{Authority control Populated places in the Somali Region