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Ethiopia + 1 more

Humanitarian Action for Children 2018 - Ethiopia (Revised August 2018)

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Ethiopia

The Ethiopian Humanitarian and Disaster Resilience Plan for 2018, currently estimates that 7.9 million people need food and cash assistance, 6.86 million people need water,sanitation and hygiene support, 6 million are at risk of communicable diseases, an estimated 350,111 children require treatment for severe acute malnutrition, and 340,000 (estimated 90,000 children) vulnerable people require protection from gender based violence and exploitation. Ethiopia has the second largest number of refugees and asylum seekers in Africa, nearly 923,863.

Ethiopia, at mid-year, is faced with an unprecedented caseload of 2.6 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) affected by conflict and drought, mainly along the Oromia regional border with Somali and the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ region. Children constitute more than half of the displaced population. Weather forecasts for the 2018 Kiremt season indicate above normal rainfall over much of Ethiopia. While, rains bring welcome relief from drought conditions, in some areas, it is expected that 2.5 million people are at risk of large scale flooding and landslides, potentially displacing an additional 637,000.

Disease outbreaks, including measles and acute watery diarrhea (AWD) continue to pose a significant threat including increasing the risk of acute malnutrition, especially in cramped, unsanitary IDP sites and collection centers.

Humanitarian strategy

Based on the 2018 Ethiopia Humanitarian and Disaster Resilience Plan and the Country's Refugee Response Plan, UNICEF works with the Government and partners to meet the needs of children through sector specific interventions. UNICEF is supporting a coordinated humanitarian response as coleads of the education, WASH, nutrition clusters and the child protection sub-cluster.
Access to SAM treatment has been expanded enabled by early detection of acute malnutrition by Community Management of Acute Malnutrition Monitors. UNICEF is equipping local health personnel with knowledge and skills to promote IYCF and establish systems for community management of acute malnutrition. UNICEF is supporting mobile teams to provide lifesaving health and nutrition services in target regions. UNICEF is and continues to procure and mobilize essential medicines to respond to disease outbreaks. The WASH response focusses on life-saving interventions and the construction of resilient water and sanitation infrastructures (including boreholes). Through community based referral systems and INGOs, children and women are better protected. Access to quality education in safe environments is being expanded for displaced and refugee children. In coordination with UNHCR, UNICEF supports initiatives that build self-reliance and strengthen social service delivery across refugee and host-communities in line with Ethiopia’s refugee pledges and the CRRF.

Results from 2018

As of July 2018, UNICEF had US$40.1 million available against the US$123.8 million revised appeal (32 per cent funded). Since January, 140,720 children have received SAM treatment. Mobile health and nutrition teams in hard-to-reach and pastoralist communities provided 287,505 people with medical services and treatment in Somali and Afar regions. UNICEF contributed to the treatment of 1,241 people suffering from AWD, far fewer than expected. Improved surveillance and containment have contributed to these gains. More than 2 million people have access to safe water through water trucking, as well as the rehabilitation, maintenance and drilling of existing and new water points, particularly in areas affected by drought, at high risk of water-borne diseases or displaced. UNICEF worked with the Government to provide psychosocial support to 21,606 children. In addition, 1,114 children were reunified with their families. Critical funding shortages for education hampered UNICEF’s emergency response, particularly support for out-ofschool children. 14,789 children gained access to schooling through the construction of temporary learning spaces, especially in Oromia, Somali and Gambella regions. UNICEF's support to cluster coordination has enabled quality programming and information management. UNICEF has also provided essential technical support to the National Flood Task Force.