15-10-2024 | di COOPI

Drought in Ethiopia: COOPI and AICS ensure access to water for 10.000 people

Since 2020, the pastoral and agro-pastoral communities of Seweyna and Lege Hida (East Bale), Kumbi and Golo Oda (East Hararghe), in the Oromia region, have been severely affected by a prolonged drought, which has compromised food security and reduced productivity. The region is also home to a high number of Internally Displaced People (IDPs), that were forced to leave their homes because of the conflict between Oromo and Somali erupted between 2016 and 2018, and since then have been living in precarious conditions, worsened by the drought. In response to this emergency, COOPI - Cooperazione Internazionale, with the support of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), launched in April 2023 the project ‘Supporting the displaced population and host communities to mitigate the effects of drought in the East Bale and East Hararghe areas of the Oromia Region’.

To address problems such as rainfall scarcity, lack of seeds and agricultural tools, and the spread of epidemics among livestock, COOPI, together with the NGO LVIA (International Lay Volunteers Association) and local partner Mothers and Children Multisectoral Development Organisation (MCMDO), is implementing a multi-sectoral intervention to protect and restore the livelihoods of vulnerable communities. The intervention includes cash transfer and distribution of essential goods.

A key component of the project is the rehabilitation of two water schemes in the Jibriel and Adele areas, which have been converted from diesel to solar pump-powered systems. The water sector is, in fact, particularly vulnerable. A few rural aqueducts operating at limited capacity are present and unsafe water sources are the main resource during the dry season. These interventions have increased water production capacity, providing safe water supplies for more than 10,000 people, both in host communities and IDPs.

In addition to the hydric interventions, COOPI provided direct support to vulnerable and displaced populations through the distribution of cash assistance, improved seeds, agricultural tools, and hygiene and sanitation kits for 700 families, with the aim of combining emergency and development actions to strengthen the resilience of communities to climate shocks. These interventions have not only improved access to clean water and sanitation, but also facilitated the restoration of livelihoods, especially for displaced people: some beneficiaries have started small businesses, selling coffee and tea in the local market area, and others have bought goats for livestock restocking.

 

The project represents a crucial contribution to the mitigation of the effects of drought in the most affected areas of the Oromia region, aiming to improve the resilience and quality of life of the affected communities"

 says the project leader, Eyob Goshu.

 

COOPI has been present in Ethiopia since 1995, providing humanitarian and development assistance with a multi-sectoral and integrated approach to the most vulnerable groups, such as internally displaced persons (IDPs), who have fled due to conflict and/or natural phenomena.