Ethiopia Drought and Refugee Crisis - Oxfam Canada 2013

March 2013 - Despite the overall food security situation stabilizing in early 2012 up to 3.75 million people continued to require humanitarian support in Ethiopia. Estimates for 2013 are still being developed but it is expected many areas of the country will continue to experience high levels of food insecurity and malnutrition resulting from localized drought and/or low-level conflict in the south-eastern Somali region. In addition in 2012 over 85 000 refugees arrived in Ethiopia fleeing conflict in Somalia and South Sudan bringing the total refugee population in the country to more than 368 000. With Canadian support Oxfam is providing safe drinking water adequate sanitation facilities and protected livelihoods for an estimated 61 000 people affected by drought and food insecurity and impacted by the influx of Somali refugees into their community.

Expected Results: Provision of water trucking (as necessary to meet immediate needs) for 1 500 people for 30 days establish 4 water storage facilities (birkads) in target communities; establishment or rehabilitation of 9 rainwater harvesting systems and 18 community latrines at 6 schools and 3 health centres; distribution of gerry cans and buckets to 2 000 households; set up a community-run solid waste disposal system; provision of 'cash for work' for 600 households and direct cash grants to 1 000 households affected by drought and impacted by the influx of refugees into their already stressed communities (to protect local livelihoods and prevent the adoption of negative coping strategies). Twenty-eight community hygiene workers will also be trained and five community sanitation and hygiene awareness campaigns will be conducted as part of this project. The expected intermediate outcome is reduced vulnerability of crisis-affected people particularly women and children.