Humanitarian Response to Conflict in Ethiopia – CLWR 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 Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR) addresses the critical protection and water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ethiopia’s conflict-affected Tigray region. Project activities include: (1) providing unconditional cash grants shelter materials and essential household items to affected households; and (2) restoring damaged water and sanitation facilities serving IDP sites and host communities. The project also includes a longer-term development component through which CLWR addresses gender equality economic empowerment and local climate change resilience by respectively; (3) supporting livelihoods and income generating activities for women and other vulnerable people; and (4) developing community-level climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) decreased adoption of negative coping strategies and reduced protection risks; and (2) improved access to safe water and sanitation for displaced and other vulnerable conflict-affected populations in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. The longer term outcomes for this project include: (3) improved gender equality and economic empowerment particularly for women and other vulnerable groups; and (4) reduced local impact of climate change for the target communities. The expected ultimate outcome is reduced suffering increased and maintained human dignity and lives saved and improved resilience among IDPs returnees and host communities in Tigray Ethiopia.