In the project area the conflict has its roots from 1994 when ethnic Gedeo and Gujii fought each other over the demarcation of their boundary, ownership of land/land user rights, population growth and migratory movements, and scarce resources. In 2018, there were two waves of displacement occurred in Gedeo-Guji: one in April that displaced 300,000, and a second wave, beginning in early June that displaced over 642,152 people in Gedeo Zone and 176,098 people in West Guji Zone. Out of the 642,152 people (309,848 males and 642,152 females), 57,818 are U5, and 21,503 PLW (Gedeo Zonal Health Department's assessment, June 2018).
Recognizing the multi-dimensional nature of this humanitarian crisis, a Life-saving Multi-Sectoral Emergency Response project were designed to address core humanitarian problems through an integrated approach to increase water, health and nutrition access, awareness and coping mechanisms of IDPs in Gedeo Zone (Gedeb,Wanago, Kochere, Bule woredas). The Action will improve at least short term resilience of IDPs through Health, Nutrition and WASH interventions. This Action will provide increased access to sufficient and safe water; increased awareness of sanitary and hygienic practices; increased access to basic curative and preventive health services through facility-based and temporary outreach health services including CMAM and IYCF. Protection and gender equity are crosscutting across all activities, ensuring safe and equal access. Protection and gender equity activities will be integrated throughout the assessment, design, implementation, and monitoring of the Action to prevent further gender-based-violence in affected communities.
Save the Children International (SCI; consortium lead) and World Vision International (WVI), have extensive experience delivering humanitarian projects and long-term development programs across Ethiopia and in the SNNPR region. The consortium will combine technical expertise, operational resources and experience to ensure a high standard, lifesaving response to meet the needs of the most vulnerable IDP communities across four Woredas of Gedeb, Wanago, Kochere and Bule of Gedeo Zone in SNNPR. Harmonizing current presence and greatest needs, SCI and WVI will both continue to operate in Gedeb, SCI will operate in Bule ,Wanago and Gedeb woredas, and WVI will operate in Kochere, and parts of Gedeb woredas.
Moreover, the proposed action is a prioritized response by the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) and aligned with the humanitarian communities agreed priorities, as reflected in the Gedeo/West Guji Response Plan issued on 22 June 2018. Aligned with the Response Plan, the
proposed Action shares the same objectives to deliver immediate life-saving assistance and ensure access to basic services; ensure dignified temporary living conditions; mitigate/prepare for potential health emergencies; and ensure protection for vulnerable groups. Through the Response Plan, the GoE has requested international humanitarian partners to scale up response in the sectors of Emergency Shelter (ES) / Non Food Items (NFI), WASH, Health and Nutrition.
The most critical needs lDP, requiring immediate interventions are, WASH, health, and nutrition services. Water and food shortages have created widespread malnutrition, and many people are vulnerable to diseases of public health concern including AWD. lDPs and host communities have no access to healthcare and interventions that reduce key morbidities and mortality. WASH: According to the Response Plan, an estimated 818,000 IDPs and 466,259 host communities living in Gedeo and Guji Zone will need emergency WASH, health and nutrition assistance within the next six months. A projected 3,800 children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM), and 21,603 children and pregnant and lactating women with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM).
To meet the immediate WASH needs of lDPs, the project team will initially provide water for 45 days to mitigate the existing water shortage among the lDPs, reducing pressure on the host communities, and to meet the minimum survival needs for drinking water, explicitly requested by Gedeo Zonal water office and prioritized by the WASH Cluster. In some areas, there are existing non-functional WASH facilities that can cause critical health risks for both host communities and IDPs; the project team will increase access to water for selected vulnerable host and lDP communities through rehabilitation of nonfunctional water schemes. As the most reliable, safe, and potentially productive water sources in the area, rehabilitating gravity spring, shallow wells, expanding production could quickly and cost-effectively assist in reaching significant numbers to address criti
The overall purpose of the baseline is to establish benchmarks to measure changes brought by the project and to measure knowledge, attitude and skills of the target community on WASH activities during start of the project. Moreover, from Health and nutrition perspective- To draw a baseline information regarding coverage of basic emergency primary health and nutrition services and service uptake and effectiveness giving due focus on highly vulnerable children and PLWs in IDP and host community.
cal water needs of host and lDP communities.
The consultant(s) who will be involved in the research should have a solid experience in social and applied research on strategic programs of wider operational coverage. The research team members should also have a solid understanding of the research area context and national and regional strategies and policies on WASH, Health and Nutrition particularly understanding on key WASH, health and nutrition emergency interventions such as CMAM and etc.
Specifically, the research team members should have at least an MSC level qualification in Public Health, nutrition, environmental health, rural development or agriculture, agricultural economics etc. The team members should also have a minimum of ten years relevant quantitative and qualitative research experience and especially baseline survey, program evaluations, program design in the emergency context area relevant research experiences preferably in the proposed project intervention areas of SNNPR region.
The composition of the team should be balanced to enable complete coverage of the different aspects of project baseline. The consulting firm should deploy multidisciplinary professionals composed of relevant background on WASH, Health and Nutrition, etc.
The research team members should have a diverse group with preferable mix of understanding of the context and needs and challenges of various groups of IDPs and host communities (men, women, people with disability, etc.) A good knowledge of gender and child participation will be necessary while the team members should have a child protection and/or gender specialist experts in key tasks. A team coordinator should be assigned to coordinate the team and facilitate communications in each research location. Team member’s knowledge of the context and local language will be an asset.