In East and West Hararghe, Oromia Region, in Ethiopia, 80% of the population relies on rainfed agriculture. Due to high population density and small land holding, even in a year of normal rain, hundreds of thousands of people do not fully meet their family’s food gaps and are supported through the safety net or government food aid programs. In recent years and due to climate change, East and West Hararghe have had recurrent droughts often putting millions at risk and requiring humanitarian assistance.

In addition, East and West have recently become home to over 100,000 conflict IDPs from Somali region of Ethiopia. Conflict around resources, water and grazing land is common along the long 1,400 km long border of the Oromia and Somali regions. However, since 2015, these conflicts have intensified. The current food insecurity caused by drought is suspected to be a factor that may have exasperated the situation, as resources are limited.

The most recent conflict that broke out in September 2017 resulted in thousands of people being displaced from both sides of the region (Somalia and Oromia) within a short period of time. There are an estimated 68,000 IDPs in East Hararghe and 38,000 in West Hararghe, who have lost everything when fleeing conflict or being evacuated from the Somali region. This fact is compounded by the lack of income-generating opportunities where they are now. Some IDPs have been put in collective centers while others are residing in empty homes and makeshift shelters around the zones. Currently many are being supported with food from host communities and residents of other Oromia regions, agencies, government and WFP.

Expected Results

ER 1: Improved access to safe drinking water and improved hygiene practices through quick rehabilitation/construction of water schemes and hygiene promotion.

ER 2: Livelihood opportunities of targeted HHs increased through conditional and unconditional cash transfers.

Activities

• Maintenance and rehabilitation of non-functional water schemes
• Re-establish and train Water Management Committees (WASHCO)
• Conduct hygiene sanitation awareness sessions
• Distribution of water treatment chemical and soaps
• KAP survey (baseline and end line)
• Distribution of large water storage tankers to health centers with no running water
• Facilitate targeting of beneficiaries for conditional/ unconditional recipients using community-accepted vulnerability criteria
• Rapid market assessment
• Money management discussions with target communities
• Implement conditional/ unconditional cash distribution
• Post Distribution Monitoring (PDM)
• Monitoring of cash transfer component
• Construction of dry pit latrines at three IDP collective centers
• Construction of cloth washing basin at IDP sites
• Construction of one common kitchen with iron sheets in Kersa IDP collection site