Ethiopia - Humanitarian Response for South Sudanese Refugees - Concern 2015

March 2015 - Ethiopia faces a wide variety of humanitarian challenges including the effects of chronic drought in many areas of the country widespread food insecurity an ongoing low to medium intensity conflict in its south-eastern Somali region and the impact of hosting a growing population of Eritrean Somali South Sudanese and Sudanese refugees on its soil. In 2015 at least 3.2 million Ethiopians and over 650 000 refugees will require humanitarian assistance including food nutritional and medical support water and sanitation and protection. With DFATD’s support Concern is helping to meet the basic humanitarian needs of 13 000 South Sudanese refugees living in Ethiopia’s Gambella region. Project activities include: (1) management of three malnutrition treatment centres to facilitate both inpatient and outpatient services; (2) provision of targeted and blanketed supplementary food rations to prevent increased acute malnutrition; (3) training of community outreach workers to provide follow up and counselling services; (4) implementation of a community awareness campaign regarding nutritional issues; and (5) the distribution of agricultural inputs (seeds and tools for household gardens) to increase household resilience.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) decreased levels of malnutrition; and (2) improved food security amongst South Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia. The expected ultimate outcome is lives saved suffering alleviated and human dignity maintained in countries experiencing humanitarian crisis or acute food insecurity.