Humanitarian Response to Conflict in Ethiopia – World Vision 2022

February 2022 - The conflict in northern Ethiopia is well into its second year and has given rise to one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. An estimated 9.4 million people in the three conflict-affected states currently require humanitarian assistance including up to 90% of the population of the Tigray region. Displacement disruption of livelihoods and constraints on humanitarian access have left at least 400 000 people facing famine conditions and human rights abuses including widespread sexual violence have marked the conflict since its outset. With GAC’s support World Vision addresses the critical water sanitation and hygiene and protection needs of internally displaced populations (IDPs) in Ethiopia’s conflict-affected Afar and Tigray regions. Project activities include: (1) restoring damaged water and sanitation facilities serving IDP sites and host communities; and (2) providing protection services (safe spaces for women and children case management and psychosocial support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence) and essential non-food items to vulnerable people. The project also includes a longer-term development component through which World Vision addresses protection gender equality and resilience issues by (3) providing educational opportunities for crisis-affected children with a particular focus on girls; and (4) providing livelihood support for returnees and host communities affected by the conflict.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) improved access to safe water and sanitation; and (2) increased availability of critical protection services for displaced and other conflict-affected populations in Ethiopia’s Tigray and Afar regions. The longer term outcomes for this project include: (3) increased access to education particularly for girls; and (4) improved household and community resilience in the face of ongoing conflict or future crises. The expected ultimate outcome is reduced vulnerability increased and maintained human dignity (especially for women and girls) and vulnerable lives saved of displaced and conflict-affected populations in Northern Ethiopia.