Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Reducing the Impacts of Covid -19 on IDPs of Addis Ababa through Water Supply and Sanitation Infrastructure
In 2018, Ethiopia recorded the third highest number of new displacements worldwide, with 3,191,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs). A significant portion of these displacements are conflict-induced, largely related to ethnic and border-based disputes. Tensions such as the contestation of the Oromia-Somali regional border, which first flared up in 2017, continue to persist, while new conflicts have also emerged, such as those within the Tigray and Benishangul regions.
As one example, inter-communal violence in Jigjiga (the capital city of Somali Regional State) in August 2018 resulted in the displacement of approximately 141,410 IDPs from the Somali regional capital. Out of this displaced population, approximately1,854 IDP households are known to reside in Addis Ababa’s Akaki Sub-City.
While many people are affected by humanitarian crises caused by Covid-19 and Covid-19 prevention measures, IDPs within Addis Ababa are uniquely impacted due to their limited livelihoods opportunities, the effects that conflict has had on their sense of security and sense of place, and their tendency to reside within low-income and high-density neighborhoods.
Recent assessments of IDPs sites within Addis Ababa revealed that Covid-19 has negatively impacted the livelihood of most displaced persons. About 40 percent of the IDPs said they mainly borrow money from family and friends and/or skip meals as a coping mechanism. The pandemic has also caused a shortage of food and hygiene kits, interrupted local economies, and has exacerbated the challenges related to limited access to healthcare, especially where it is most needed.
The majority of IDPs residing within Addis Ababa are primarily dependent on national government and (I)NGO support. Already facing severe job loss as a result of ethnic conflicts, movement restrictions and measures imposed by the Ethiopian government as a response to the pandemic have further pushed IDPs into poverty at a time when food assistance is limited, social distancing is infeasible, and essential sanitation and public health supplies are lacking.
With this background, the main aim of this project is to provide access to water and sanitation for 1,854 IDP households in Akaki Sub-city while providing emergency financial assistance for IDPs with higher risk. The Addis Ababa City Administration will provide improved access to water via the addition of new water mains servicing Akaki Sub-city and the coverage of water bills for residents of the area for a period of 12 months, providing some financial relief until the IDPs become economically self-sufficient. The City Administration will improve sanitation through the construction of new sewer lines servicing the area’s septic tanks, which tend to overflow due to insufficient capacity and overcrowding, further exacerbating public health concerns. Together, these WASH services will provide critical relief to IDPs and other residents of Akaki Sub-city, precisely at a time when such relief is crucial to mitigating the risk of infectious disease.
In addition to these WASH services, the City Administration will provide entrepreneurship training and financial assistance to 40 project clients interested in starting new businesses through participation in cooperatives.
The project will be implemented by Addis Ababa City Administration, through Addis Ababa Fire and Disaster Risk Management Commission and in collaboration with Addis Ababa City Resilience Project Office, Addis Ababa Cooperatives, Promotion Office, Addis Ababa City Water and Sewage Authority
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