Ethiopia Humanitarian Bulletin Issue #6 26 April – 10 May 2021

HIGHLIGHTS

• Following reports of widespread conflict related sexual violence (CRSV) since the onset of the crisis in Tigray Region, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is scaling up its response to meet the needs.

• Priorities in the planned response scale up include: GBV interventions, expanding operations of Safe Houses, expanding SRH interventions, MHPSS interventions, and PSEA interventions.

• The Early Warning Department of the National Disaster Risk Management Commission released the second issue of the National Flood Alert amid reports of average to above average Belg/spring season rainfall.

• Localized rains and the overflowing of rivers in the highlands has caused flooding in Somali Region, which caused seven deaths, displaced 890 people and affected over 500 households.

• So far, flooding due to heavy rains left some 27,000 persons displaced in Afar Region, and 11,200 households in Somali Region.

• Mitigation measures should be taken as more flooding is anticipated due to favourable weather conditions in May.
Landslide and flash floods are also expected to occur in some areas during the upcoming Kiremt/summer rainy season (JuneSeptember).

• Access to all people in need in Tigray remains a challenge due to insecurity, but aid workers are closely working with Government authorities to overcome obstacles to reach previously inaccessible areas.

• An inter-agency humanitarian convoy on 28-29 April to Samre Woreda delivered emergency food aid, nutrition supplies and NFIs, as well as organized a mobile health clinic at Samre Hospital.

• Interviewed individuals at Samre Hospital raised concerns over the shortage of medical supplies or lack thereof, particularly affecting people with chronic diseases such as HIV and diabetics. Prior to the conflict, Tigray was amongst the regions with the highest HIV prevalence in Ethiopia.
Women can no longer access reproductive health services in the hospital.

• The United Nations, through the central emergency response fund (CERF) and the countrybased pooled fund (EHF), has released US$65 million to scale up the humanitarian response in the country.

• The United Nations, through the central emergency response fund (CERF) and the countrybased pooled fund (EHF), has released US$65 million to scale up the humanitarian response in the country.

• An Inter - Agency Mission conducted on 3-6 May in North Shewa and Oromo Special Zones of Amhara Region identified that at least 358,000 people displaced due to conflict are in dire need of food,
ES/NFIs, WASH and healthcare services.

• The entire population in Ataye Town was displaced and the town is burned down.

• Halima is a single mother of seven children living in Dalsan IDP site of Lehelyu'ob Woreda in family were displaced from Godey Woreda of Shebelle Zone on January 16, 2019 following the eruption of an intercommunal conflict.

• Although members of the host community support Halima with some shoats, her survival mainly depends on the relief food assistance she receives.

UNFPA scaling up response amid widespread reports of conflict related sexual violence

Following reports of widespread conflict related sexual violence (CRSV) since the onset of the crisis in Tigray Region, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is scaling up its response to meet the needs of survivors. Initially targeting 112,200 women, girls, boys and men over a 6-months period in Tigray, Amhara and Afar Regions (Preparedness and Response Plan - December 2020), UNFPA re-assessed the Preparedness and Response Plan (April 2021), considering the pressing and rising needs of the affected population across Tigray, Afar and Amhara.

The planned activities are tailored to restore pre-crisis capacity in SRHMH, GBV, MHPSS and PSEA (see footnote1 for acronyms) through Government-led health facilities and humanitarian partners to avoid a dramatic toll in maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity and respond holistically to the increasing conflict related sexual violence ongoing across the Region. Of the prioritized GBV activities for example, are the expansion of Women and Girls’ Safe Spaces (WGSS)2, expanding support to One-Stop Centers (OSC)3 linked to Women and Girls’ Safe Spaces in Tigray Region, expanding operations of Safe Houses4 for comprehensive care and protection to CRSV survivors across the Region.

At present, priority activities are being reviewed considering the recent upsurge of IDPs across the region and the dramatic effects of a variety of aggravating factors such as the socio-economic impact of conflict, acute food insecurity, and potential disease outbreaks, among other stressors. To date, an estimated 379,014 people have been reached with medical supplies and commodities through the UNFPA-led response.