Ethiopia
2024-03 Factsheet - Ethiopia
Highlights
In the first quarter of 2024, the cluster continued to address the unmet shelter and non-food item (NFI) needs of the population affected by displacement. The cluster provided assistance to the internally displaced persons (IDPs) who were living in overcrowded and inadequate collective centers in Tigray and Amhara regions, as well as to those who returned spontaneously or with the government's support in Oromia region. However, the cluster's capacity was constrained by the limited resources and the increasing number of new displacements caused by drought and flood in Afar, Oromia, Tigray, and Somali regions, and by conflict in Amhara, Afar, Oromia, and Tigray regions. The cluster also observed returns in many locations, which necessitated different modalities of assistance.
By the end of March, the cluster reported reaching only 5% of its 3.3 million target, with another 15% committed through ongoing activities and items in stock. This left a gap of 80% (2.6 million people) to be filled by the cluster.
The cluster also focused on strengthening the coordination and information management among partners, donors, and government counterparts. The cluster organized monthly cluster meetings at the national and sub-national levels, as well as inter-cluster and ad hoc meetings to discuss emerging issues and challenges. The cluster updated the 4W matrix, dashboard, response tracker, and gap analysis tools on a regular basis, and shared them with relevant stakeholders. The cluster also developed and disseminated various guidance documents and standard operating procedures to harmonize the Emergency Shelter and Non-Food Items (ESNFI) response.
As March to May is characterized by heavy rains and seasonal floods, the cluster contributed to the Joint Government and Humanitarian Partners Flood Contingency Plan 2024 for the Belg rainy season, and in Q1, the cluster has provided ESNFI and NFI assistance to 67K people affected by floods in 2 regions.
The Ethiopia Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO), Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP), and the results of the Cluster Coordination Performance Monitoring (CCPM) survey were released. Following consultations with partners during a strategic workshop, adjustments to the cluster’s strategy and planning for the year 2024 have been finalized
NFI
Shelter
Coverage against targets
Need analysis
Ethiopia is facing a severe humanitarian crisis due to various factors that have increased the vulnerability and needs of its population. The conflict in Tigray has resulted in the displacement of numerous people who have been forced to leave their homes and seek shelter in schools and other public facilities where education is disrupted. The persistent drought has also worsened the situation, displacing 34,950 people in the previous five months. Furthermore, the country has experienced more instability due to intermittent violence in the western regions, unrest in the Amhara region, and the global economic decline, which has affected the local market and the purchasing power of the displaced and the host communities.
People in displacement sites face serious challenges with overcrowding in collective centers, inadequate or missing shelters in informal settings, and substandard living conditions for those who have found refuge among the host community. The situation is critical, with only a 3% response rate for shelter-related issues in the first quarter of 2024.
The returnees also face similar challenges due to the low level of response in the areas of return. A recent assessment of the areas of return has revealed that besides the damaged houses, the returnees need essential household items.
Response
The Cluster faces a significant challenge in reaching its target population of 3.3M people by the end of 2024. To date, only 5% of the target has been reached and 15% more are covered by ongoing activities. The remaining 80% still require assistance with shelter and non-food items (NFI).
The Cluster has delivered NFI and emergency shelter and non-food items (ESNFI) assistance, either in kind or in cash, to 56% of the reached population in eight regions. However, these activities represent only 4% and 13% of the ongoing activities. The Cluster intends to prioritize NFI assistance for newly displaced or lost NFIs due to drought, flash floods, or other shocks.
Shelter Repair assistance, in the form of full or minor shelter repair kits, has benefited 31% of the reached population, or 61K beneficiaries, mostly returning IDPs in eight regions. However, this activity only constitutes 5% of the ongoing activities, indicating that many more people need support to recover their shelters.
Similarly, emergency shelter assistance, which includes rental support and emergency shelter for the IDPs , has served 5% of the reached population but accounts for 10% of the ongoing activities. The Cluster aims to reach 541K people with Emergency Shelter in 2024, leaving a gap of 85%.
Gaps / challenges
With only 22% of the required funding secured by the end of the 1st quarter, the cluster faces the challenge of mobilizing and prioritizing limited resources to reach the remaining 80% (2.6M) target population for the rest of 2024. The cluster has over 26 partners and 26 have so far contributed to the overall response.
Partners are gradually phrasing out from certain areas of Amhara and Oromia due to funding limitations. Compounded by security and access constraints in parts of Amhra, Oromia and Tigray, making it difficult to reach some targeted populations.
Limited financial and technology infrastructure to support cash modalities for delivering shelter and NFI assistance are also a challenge, but the cluster is coordinating with other clusters and the Cash Working Group to overcome these challenges.
