Humanitarian Response to Conflict in Ethiopia – CARE 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 CARE addresses the essential health water sanitation and hygiene and protection needs of conflict-affected populations in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. Project activities include: (1) providing material and technical support to local health facilities and the operation of mobile health units in hard-to-reach areas; (2) restoring damaged water and sanitation facilities serving internally displaced people sites and host communities; and (3) training health providers and local authorities to better address critical protection needs. The project also includes a development component through which CARE is supporting local stakeholders to (4) strengthening durable health and nutrition services; (5) improving approaches related to water resource management; and (6) developing sustainable and institutionalized sexual and gender-based violence prevention and response strategies for the long-term.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) improved access to healthcare; (2) improved access to safe water and sanitation; and (3) increased availability of critical protection services for displaced and other conflict-affected populations in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. The longer term outcomes for this project include: (4) reduced incidence of and improved response to sexual and gender-based violence; and (5) improved resilience safety and health of targeted communities. The expected ultimate outcome is lives saved suffering alleviated and human dignity maintained through Nutrition WASH and Protection interventions for women men boys and girls in Eastern Tigray Ethiopia.