Global Humanitarian Overview 2024 Monthly Updates

March and April update

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Global Humanitarian Overview 2024, March - April Update (Snapshot as of 30 April 2024)

09 May 2024
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Summary

Inter-Agency Coordinated Appeals: March - April Update

People in Need
292.4M
People Targeted
182.2M
Appeals
36
Requirements (US$)
$48.28B
Inter-Agency Appeals Funding (US$)
$4.34B
Appeals Coverage
9%
Total Humanitarian Funding (US$)
$7.30B

The 2024 Global Humanitarian Overview (GHO) requires $48.28 billion to assist 182.2 million people in need across 70 countries through 36 coordinated response plans.

As of end March 2024, total humanitarian funding totalled $5.91 billion, which is over a third less than what was recorded at the same time last year ($9 billion). Meanwhile, reported GHO funding amounted to $3.01 billion, 44 per cent less than in March 2023 ($5.37 billion).

At the end of April 2024, total humanitarian funding amounted to $7.30 billion, which is 36 per cent less than what was recorded at the end of April last year ($11.40 billion). Meanwhile, reported GHO funding totalled $4.34 billion or 42 per cent less than in 2023 ($7.44 billion).

Several funding trends can be highlighted. Firstly, there is typically a large increase in reported funding between March and April each year due to donor and agency reporting cycles and disbursements of new budgets in the first quarter. This year, however, the increase in reported funding was only $1.39 billion, the lowest from March to April since 2019. Similarly, whereas GHO coverage has increased six per cent on average between the end of March and end of April, this year, the month-on-month increase was only two per cent. Secondly, reported funding from top donors has been significantly less in the first four months of 2024 compared to 2023. From January to the end of April, the top five donors reported $4.58 billion of humanitarian funding. This is 63 per cent of the total reported and is $4.12 billion less than the $8.73 billion reported during the same period in 2023 when funding from these donors was 79 per cent of the total reported. In comparison, in 2022, the top five donors reported $5.72 billion or 74 per cent of the total. This reduction at the beginning of 2024 is mainly due to delayed budget approvals and disbursements by several key donors.

Timely reporting of humanitarian contributions from donors and recipients is crucial to provide reliable and complete data for trend analysis. All partners are encouraged to report funding to the Financial Tracking Service (fts@un.org).

Resource Mobilisation Events

Two high-level pledging events took place in April. On 15 April, France, Germany and the European Union organised an International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and Neighbouring Countries, one year after the Sudan conflict broke out. During the conference, international donors announced $2.1 billion to support civilian populations in Sudan and those seeking refuge in neighbouring countries. The 2024 Sudan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan requires $2.7 billion to meet the needs of 14.7 million of the 24.8 million people in need. To date, only 10 per cent of these requirements have been met. The 2024 Regional Refugee Response Plan for Sudan is also appealing for $1.4 billion for a projected population of 2.7 million people in the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, South Sudan, including refugees, returnees, third country nationals, and host populations in surrounding areas.

On 16 April, the Governments of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United Nations convened a High-Level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Situation in Ethiopia to discuss the pressing humanitarian situation unfolding which is characterised by a convergence of climate-related disasters, conflict, and other challenges. More than $600 million of humanitarian assistance was announced during the event. Co-hosts published a joint communiqué reiterating their dedication to addressing the humanitarian crisis by ensuring an efficient and effective humanitarian response, and tackling the root causes. The 2024 Ethiopian Humanitarian Response Plan requires $3.24 billion to assist 15.5 million of the 21.4 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. To date, only nine per cent of the financial requirements have been met.

The funding status of all response plans as of end-March 2024 can be found here.

Regional Focus: Southern and East Africa Region

Humanitarian needs continue to rise in Southern and East Africa as the region experiences the devastating effects of climate change, economic challenges and conflicts. Millions of people face acute drought-related food insecurity, leading to large-scale displacement and protection concerns. Recent heavy rains and localised floods have been impacting Eastern Africa (central and western Kenya, northern Uganda, southern Ethiopia, and central Somalia).

To continue saving lives and shore up resilience among affected communities, funding for humanitarian response plans for the Southern and Eastern Africa region must be supported at scale.

Coordinated appeal requirements for the region have increased over the years. Regional requirements were lowest in 2019 ($7.05 billion) and peaked in 2023 at nearly $14 billion. In 2024, requirements have decreased by 20 per cent ($2.75 billion), with the largest decrease registered in Somalia (39 per cent). Three plans have higher requirements in 2024 compared to 2023: the Sudan HRP (plus five per cent), Sudan RRP (plus 29 per cent) and the South Sudan RRP (plus three per cent). The Ethiopia HRP was the largest inter-agency response plan in the region in 2022, 2023 and 2024, closely followed by the Sudan, South Sudan, and the Somalia HRPs in volume of requirements.

Between 2022 and 2023, funding to the region decreased by 25 per cent, while requirements increased by 24 per cent. This decrease was observed globally as well. In absolute figures, Somalia saw the largest decrease in 2023 funding compared to 2022 (less $957.4 million). It was well covered in 2022 to respond to the famine (93 per cent) and dropped in 2023 (43 per cent coverage). The second largest decrease in HRP funding was for the Ethiopia HRP (less $393.7 million or minus 23 per cent). The Sudan HRP requirements increased by 32 per cent; however, funding decreased by one per cent between 2022 and 2023. The South Sudan HRP requirements increased by 21 per cent, while funding decreased by 17 per cent. In 2023, the Kenya and the Madagascar Flash Appeals were the best funded appeals with 80 per cent and 54 per cent coverage, respectively. The humanitarian pooled funds of Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan are playing a key role in enabling a timely response.

Total humanitarian funding for countries in the Southern and Eastern Africa region (including HRP funding and other) since 2019 accounts for 20 per cent of global humanitarian funding ($32.45 billion). Ethiopia, South Sudan, Somalia, and Sudan account for 78 per cent of the total reported humanitarian funding in the region. Fifty-six per cent of the funding to the region since 2019 came from one single donor, and 89 per cent of the funding from only ten donors.

Total Humanitarian Funding to the region peaked in 2022 with $8.50 billion. In 2023, reported funding totalled $6.24 billion or 27 per cent less than in 2022, This decrease is similar to the overall decrease in global humanitarian funding between 2022 and 2023 (minus 25 per cent globally).

Country Focus: Syria and Yemen

Syria Crisis

Humanitarian Response Plan
People in Need
16.7M
People Targeted
10.8M
Requirements (US$)
$4.07B

Entering its 13th year of crisis, Syria grapples with a catastrophe of unprecedented magnitude, with new emergencies adding to existing crisis and taking a heavy toll on the people living in the country. Protracted displacement, economic decline, global inflation, escalation of hostilities and the aftermath of the earthquakes that struck south-eastern Türkiye and northern Syria in February 2023 are some of the biggest challenges currently faced by the people in Syria. These factors have been further exacerbated by the collapse of the economic system in neighbouring countries and impact of regional conflicts and tensions.

In 2024, 16.7 million people are expected to need humanitarian assistance, the largest number since the beginning of the crisis in 2011. The effects of the rapid economic deterioration and lack of livelihood opportunities further expose vulnerable people to protection risks and threats, including enhanced risk of sexual exploitation and abuse and other forms of gender-based violence for women and children as they explore feasible means to meet their day-to-day basic needs.

Requirements for Syria appeals have increased over the years. In 2023 the requirements reached a high of $5.4 billion. Although funding had been relatively stable at $2.3 - $2.4 billion between 2020 and 2022, last year, funding decreased to $2.1 billion, or 38 per cent of requirements – a significant decrease in coverage compared to previous years.

To be able to implement the Syria Humanitarian Response Plan in full, funding of $4.07 billion will be required – to address the immediate humanitarian needs of 10.8 million (5.4 million females and 5.3 million males) vulnerable people targeted out of the 16.7 million assessed to be in need.

Regional Refugee and Resilience Response Plan
People in Need
19.3M
People Targeted
12.9M
Requirements (US$)
$4.86B
Countries Covered
5
Refugees Targeted
6M
Host Community Members Targeted
6.8M

The Brussels Conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region will also aim to mobilise resources for the Syria Regional Refugee and Resilience Response Plan. Approximately 6 million Syrians, many of them displaced for over a decade, have sought refuge in Türkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt - the five countries covered by the Syria Regional Refugee and Resilience Response Plan (3RP). The protracted nature of the conflict, which has resulted in one of the world's largest refugee crises, has strained public infrastructure and services in host countries, especially housing, education, health care, waste management, and water and sanitation.

A noticeable rise in poverty among refugees and host communities underscores the growing challenges, with reduced humanitarian assistance and limited or fragile social safety nets. This has resulted in increased reliance on harmful coping mechanisms, such as families reducing meals, accumulating debt, and cutting expenses on health and children’s education. Female-headed households are more prone to poverty and are frequently unable to access basic services. Incidents of gender-based violence (GBV), sexual abuse, rape and trafficking have increased over the past year, and an estimated 7.3 million women and girls need GBV-related services. Services to respond to people with disabilities, particularly women, are also limited and women with disabilities are at higher risk of sexual and physical abuse, rape and or emotional and psychological harm. The protracted nature of the Syria crisis, compounded by challenging socio-economic circumstances in most 3RP countries, makes preserving social cohesion vital. However, mitigating tensions between communities is becoming increasingly challenging in a context where protection space is shrinking.

Funding for the 3RP is dwindling even as needs become more acute. In 2023, a mere 31 per cent of the total appeal of $5.86 billion was received. As international support is stretched by other global priorities and emerging crises, this decline poses a significant risk, exacerbating the crisis in 3RP countries and threatening their socio-economic stability.

In 2024, over 19 million people in 3RP countries are projected to need assistance. This includes some 6.4 million refugees and 12.9 million impacted host community members. Over 270 partners across 3RP countries will continue to support government-led efforts in assisting these refugees and vulnerable host community members. In response to the decrease in humanitarian and resilience funding and the need for strategic prioritization, 3RP partners have carefully reviewed the funding requirements in relation to the priority needs, and subsequently reduced the collective funding request to $4.86 billion for 2024 - down from $5.8 billion in 2023. The ‘One Refugee’ approach, the Global Compact on Refugees, and the 2030 Agenda guide the 3RP’s long-term, solutions-orientated response.

Yemen

Humanitarian Response Plan

Resource mobilisation efforts are also underway for Yemen, where an estimated 18.2 million people – over half of Yemen’s population - need humanitarian assistance and protection services. Yemen is facing an increasingly unpredictable future. Previous optimism of an improved humanitarian situation and the prospect of peace has given way to considerable concern amidst operational constraints and access challenges, decreased funding, widespread regional tensions, and a slowing peace process. Improvements in the humanitarian situation since the start of the UN-brokered truce in April 2022 are reversing. Levels of food insecurity and malnutrition are rising, driven by economic instability and humanitarian funding gaps. A cholera outbreak is currently quickly worsening across the country and approximately 24,000 suspected cases and 124 deaths were reported as of 21 April. Humanitarians acted quickly to combat the outbreak, with the UN and partners developing a multi-cluster response plan to support up to 137,000 severe cases.

Around 17.6 million people are likely to experience severe food insecurity. 2.7 million women and five million children under five will require treatment for acute malnutrition. Fourteen per cent of the population – 4.5 million people – are displaced, many of whom have been displaced multiple times.

Requirements for Yemen have increased over the years with a peak in 2023 and in 2022 ($4.3 billion). However, last year, coverage of the Yemen response reached an all-time low, with only 41 per cent of the requirements fulfilled. For 2024, humanitarian partners have undertaken extensive efforts to deliver a more targeted, better prioritised and more integrated humanitarian response. $2.7 billion is needed to assist 11.2 million people. The activities outlined in the 2024 Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan will be delivered by over 200 organisations, the majority of which are local and national NGOs. It will cover all 333 districts of Yemen and respond to the diverse needs of the population. The humanitarian community will also identify sustainable solutions for the people of Yemen in collaboration with development partners. The humanitarian community is working to increase its own effectiveness and improve efficiency to ensure the most impact from each dollar, however, a third of the way through the year, the appeal is only 15 per cent funded.

Thematic Focus: Climate Crisis

Both slow and rapid onset weather events greatly impact food insecurity. The first half of the year was marked by the peak of El Niño, a natural climate phenomenon that can bring weather disruptions across the world through high temperatures and an excess or deficit of rainfall.

The current episode, which started last June, quickly evolved into a strong event, causing devastating floods in East Africa and droughts and wildfires from Latin America to the Pacific. Its effects, compounded by the impact of climate change on global temperatures, contributed to making 2023 the hottest year on record, 1.45°C above pre-industrial averages.

This prompted the appointment by the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator of Reena Ghelani as the Climate Crisis Coordinator for El Niño / La Niña response, under the auspices of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee.

Where are we now? El Niño has peaked but its impacts persist

According to the World Meteorological Organization, El Niño reached its peak in the first quarter of the year and may reach neutral conditions between April and June, but its impact will be felt throughout the year.

The consequences affect millions across the world. Five million people were affected by El Niño-induced floods in Eastern Africa, while high temperatures and dry conditions caused crop failure and wildfires in Colombia, Bolivia, Brazil and Chile. In the Asia-Pacific region, the situation is improving except for a few countries experiencing severe drought, such as the Philippines and Timor Leste – where 27% of the population is now food insecure.

According to the analysis by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Analysis Cell, the biggest area of concern is currently Southern Africa. In January / February, the region recorded its lowest rainfall in four decades, threatening livestock and the upcoming harvest and flooding is currently affecting the region. The drought is happening in a context of heightened vulnerabilities linked to previous climate shocks, a cholera outbreak and high food inflation. Over 16 million people are now food insecure across the region. In the central part of the region, across Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe, more than half of the crops have reportedly failed.

While El Niño is a naturally occurring phenomenon, climate change is exacerbating its impacts. IFRC reported for example that in the Marshall Islands, the consequences of the drought were worsened by rising sea-level, which has contaminated water wells.

Preparedness and early action

Since the early warning signs in 2023, the international community has stepped up to support Government-led efforts in anticipating, preparing for El Niño-induced disasters and responding to its consequences. This has included various disaster risk reduction efforts, such as contingency planning and anticipatory actions, including cash transfers, the distribution of drought-resistant seeds and the provision of safe water in drought-affected areas.

The UN Central Emergency Response (CERF) allocated over $45 million for early and anticipatory action, including recent allocations in Zimbabwe and Madagascar. The Food and Agriculture Organization initiated a $160 million Anticipatory Action and Response Plan for 34 countries, while the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) targeted 16 million people in East and Southern Africa. Other preparedness and response efforts included the World Food Programme in Southern Africa, the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC), the Start Network and ICRC.

The coming months will be crucial to scale up response efforts in the countries most at risk.

At the same time, as our understanding of ENSO episodes and our capacity to forecast its impacts improve, it becomes critical to strengthen the coordination mechanisms that trigger early action interventions.

Such episodes are predictable and early action has proven efficient, cost-effective and more dignified, yet these types of response remain largely underfunded. As experts warn of a possible shift to La Niña in the coming months (62% chance of transition by July-August), it would be crucial to harmonise early action mechanisms and secure pre-arranged funding, to mitigate its worst consequences.

Pooled Funds

Total 2024 Allocations (US$)
$315.3
Countries Assisted with 2024 Allocations
23
March

In March 2024, the OCHA-managed Pooled Funds allocated $48 million to enable essential and life-saving humanitarian assistance. Of this amount, the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) allocated $7 million to support humanitarian efforts in Yemen to address food insecurity; the Sudan Humanitarian Fund allocated $38 million in response to the food security crisis; and the Somalia Humanitarian Fund allocated $3 million for anticipatory action based on forecasted floods.

CERF worked with seven critically underfunded countries in Africa, the Americas and the Middle East on the allocation strategies guiding the upcoming $100 million allocations from the 2024 Underfunded Emergencies (UFE) window that will boost their key lifesaving operations. As part of these allocations, the Emergency Response Coordinator (ERC) has for the second time committed an additional dedicated funding envelope of $3-4 million, to help strengthen collective Accountability to Affected People (AAP) measures.

April

In April 2024, the OCHA-managed Pooled Funds (CBPF) allocated grants across 18 countries amounting to $187.3 million to enable essential and life-saving humanitarian assistance. This marks the highest number of grants and the largest amount allocated in any month of the year thus far. Of this amount, the CBPFs allocated $94.2 million while CERF allocated $93.1 million, respectively $38.1 million through its Rapid Response Window and $55 million through the Underfunded Emergencies Window.

Angola, Malawi, Mongolia, Zimbabwe and Zambia received CERF allocations totaling $15.1 million to get ahead of the impacts of drought and cold waves linked to the 2023-2024 El Niño cycle. El Niño, characterised by unusual ocean warming, exerts widespread effects across continents, including droughts, cyclones, and floods. These events can lead to humanitarian emergencies, particularly in countries lacking sufficient prevention and resilience measures. Learning from previous El Niño occurrences, CERF has adopted a proactive approach ahead of the 2023-2024 El Niño cycle. By proactively allocating resources, CERF aims to facilitate more efficient, cost-effective, and timely responses to potential crises.

For more information about all allocations, please visit the CBPFs’ Data Hub and CERF’s website.

What’s new in the Pooled Funds?

Two new Regional Humanitarian Pooled Funds have been created - one for Asia and the Pacific and one for Latin America and the Caribbean. These new funds will build on the success of the first Regional Humanitarian Fund for West and Central Africa covering Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

The Regional Humanitarian Fund for Asia and the Pacific will enable swift, scalable and flexible responses to the wide range of sudden-onset crises common to the Asia-Pacific region, increase resources for protracted and underfunded crises, and improve funding for local responders while decreasing dependency on limited, existing funding sources. The Regional Humanitarian Fund will focus on countries with high levels of humanitarian needs, such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. There will also be a focus on countries with existing inter-agency Anticipatory Action frameworks. In parallel, OCHA will continue to explore opportunities to open a first country envelope in the Philippines.

The Regional Humanitarian Fund for Latin America and the Caribbean will extend funding for local and national NGOs at the front-line of the humanitarian response. With local and national actors actively engaged in the Fund’s processes and governance, the Regional Humanitarian Fund will be well-placed to address locally identified priorities with locally identified solutions, being catalytic in improving context-appropriate humanitarian action and the quality of assistance. OCHA ROLAC will pursue a phased approach to the establishment and operationalisation of the Regional Humanitarian Fund. Given current humanitarian needs, Colombia and Haiti will be prioritised in the first phase as catalysts to establish the Fund, expanding to other countries based on needs and donor interest. Early funding is crucial to allow the new funds to respond to humanitarian needs in a more agile and scalable way, when needed, where needed.

Humanitarian Funds Annual Reports: detailed achievements of OCHA-managed pooled funds in Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Nigeria, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria Cross-Border, Venezuela and Yemen are reflected in the recently released annual publications: Country-Based Pooled Funds Annual Reports | OCHA (unocha.org)

The synthesis reports of the CERF and the CBPFs in 2023 can also be found here: Country-Based Pooled Funds 2023 in Review - World | ReliefWeb and CERF Annual Results Report: Enabling the delivery of fast and timely life-saving assistance to nearly 33 million people in 2023 | CERF (un.org)

CENTRAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE FUND

as of 30 April

March Allocations (US$)
$7M
April Allocations (US$)
$93.1M
Total 2024 Allocations (US$)
$161.1M
Countries Assisted with Allocations in March and April
14

Amid depleted coping mechanisms, Yemen is grappling with escalating food insecurity and malnutrition, particularly in areas lacking recent food distribution. Rising food prices exacerbate the situation, with millions facing the threat of severe hunger. In response, in March CERF swiftly allocated $7 million to WFP to restart food distributions, targeting 1,000,000 affected people. The allocation aims to address urgent food security challenges while also targeting malnutrition rates and long-term effects of food insecurity.

The initial round of Underfunded Emergencies for the year, totalling $100 million across seven countries, is underway. Allocation proposals from Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Honduras have been approved. In DRC, a $20 million allocation in the context of violence-affected provinces facing acute needs and continuous displacement will aid UN agencies and partners in delivering life-saving assistance to over 679,000 affected people. The allocation targets vulnerable groups, including 431,000 children and 33,700 people with disabilities, both inside and outside IDP camps. Additionally, it emphasizes resilience-building through innovative approaches to food production to reduce future reliance on humanitarian aid, alongside reinforcing logistical support. This allocation complements a $20 million allocation also launched this month from the DRC Humanitarian Fund, reflecting a coordinated effort to enhance response effectiveness through collaborative planning and funding.

As of 30 April 2024, donors have contributed $338.7 million (total amount pledged and paid), which is 12 per cent less than the contributions end of April 2023. Projected income for 2024 is lower than 2023. It is paramount that additional resources urgently be made available to CERF to allow the Fund to respond to rising needs. Additional income is also needed to strengthen the Under-funded Emergencies (UFE) second round, for which planning will start in May. This is of importance given the low allocated amount in the first UFE round this year due to lack of resources.

With close to $100 million in committed CERF funding for Anticipatory Action (AA) frameworks in 2024, CERF's AA commitment is higher than ever, a contrast to the decrease in overall income. Efforts to increase donor contributions to the CERF Climate Action Account continue.

COUNTRY-BASED POOLED FUNDS

as of 30 April

March Allocations (US$)
$41M
April Allocations (US$)
$94.2M
Total 2024 Allocations (US$)
$154.2M
Countries Assisted with Allocations in March and April
9

Sudan is in the grip of a worsening hunger crisis, with nearly 18 million people already experiencing acute hunger ahead of the lean season. To address this, the Sudan Humanitarian Fund in March allocated $38 million, of which $31.5 million is supporting immediate food crisis relief. This response will support NGOs to distribute the items procured through the CERF and support essential complementary interventions through a multi-sector consortium. The grant will also support community-based organisations working in conflict hotspots and hard-to-reach communities, leveraging previous allocations.

Political instability in Niger, exacerbated by conflicts in northern Nigeria and border regions, is currently increasing humanitarian needs in areas already exposed to pre-existing vulnerabilities. Within this context, the Regional Fund for West and Central Africa has launched a $2 million allocation in Niger to provide humanitarian aid. The "Flagship Initiative" that is spearheaded by the Emergency Relief Coordinator is one of the initiatives being piloted in Niger that focuses on community-led responses to prioritise and address local needs effectively. The focus of this allocation, determined by community priorities in line with the flagship initiative, includes income-generating activities such as agricultural and small business support, alongside awareness-raising on protection risks, land rights, and community information regarding assistance opportunities and rights.

Donors have contributed $333.3 million (total pledged and paid) to the CBPFs as of 30 April 2024, which is 11 per cent less in comparison with end April 2023. The Yemen, Sudan and DRC Humanitarian Funds (HF) have received the largest bulk of the funding ($40, $37 and $30 million respectively), closely followed by the South Sudan HF ($28 million), the Afghanistan HF ($26 million), the Ethiopia HF ($22 million) and the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) HF ($22 million). The seven HFs mentioned have received 61 per cent of the total CBPF contributions to date. Income predictability remains one of the biggest challenges faced by pooled funds for sound planning and response capacity of partners.

"The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip has reached a disastrous stage, unlike anything we have seen before. In facing this unprecedented challenge, the OPT Humanitarian Fund is more crucial than ever. The Fund’s ability to act promptly in times of crisis underscores its indispensable role in addressing urgent and critical needs within the OPT"

Jamie McGoldrick,
Humanitarian Coordinator, a.i., for OPT

Pooled Funds Story

Access to safe water is a daily necessity – and a fundamental human right
Ethiopia, East Hargaghe and Oromia regions.

“We used to spend hours fetching water,” recalls Misriya Teha, who lives in Lemi village in East Hargaghe. A neighbor, Aliya, had to rely on sending her kids to fetch water. “They wasted precious time and missed school,” she says.

After five consecutive failed rainy seasons since late 2020, communities affected by the prolonged drought in southern and southeastern Ethiopia were relieved to see good 2023 belg rains. This brought temporary solace, replenishing water sources in some areas and rejuvenating pasture. However, continued assistance is critical while recovery continues over the next few years. Water points remain contaminated, and many areas simply lack access to improved water infrastructure.

Emergency provisions for drought-affected people

In Oromia, sixty-year old Zeyineba Omar Obadi got water from a local pond. But it was not safe water. The years of drought have rendered the pond contaminated. “We are getting water from polluted ponds, polluted by animal waste and dirt. We frequently got sick but we had no other option here,” she said.

With funding from the Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund, International Rescue Committee provided a temporary fix for situations like Zeyineba’s, where there is no safe water available: emergency Water, Sanitation and Hygiene assistance in the form of water treatment chemicals. “Now we have what we need to treat the water. We can use it to drink, wash, and cook. We get sick less often.” Zeyineba hopes such chemicals can remain available.

Investing in water infrastructure

Poor water infrastructure continues to limit people’s access in many rural areas. For humanitarians, improving water infrastructure for underserved communities is a key priority.

With support from the Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund, Care International constructed seven solar-powered community water supply schemes in the area, reaching about 45,000 people with clean water.Health facilities in Alola, Chella, Chira, Finte-bas, Biko and Rogge were also connected to the piped water through the solar water schemes. Access to safe drinking water at a convenient distance from home has become a reality. “Now, I can fetch water every day without interruption, thanks to the solar-powered system,” Misriya said.

“We don’t have to worry about fuel costs or generators breaking down. Clean water flows right into our village.” Aliya’s children aren’t missing school any more. “They can focus on their studies better now,” she said. Bedriya Abrahim, who lives in Gende Kebira village, also pointed out that, “We were at the mercy of the generators before. Now with the solar-powered systems, it’s much more reliable.”