Improving Safety and Access to Services for IDPs in Somali Region Of a total of 696,305 internally displaced persons (IDPs) identified under the Displacement Tracking Matrix, to which DRC is an operational partner in Somali region, 16% are displaced within Fafan and Liben Zone of Somali region. This intervention will target a total of 15 IDP sites in Babile, Gursum and Tuli-Guled (Jijiga) Woredas, Fafan Zone, and in Filtu and Hudet Woredas, Liben Zone, estimated to hosting more than 70% of the IDPs in these two zones. 

DRC has designed this intervention to enhance the safety, protection and access to appropriate essential services for the most vulnerable IDPs residing in IDP settlements in Liben and Fafan zone. Under this intervention, DRC aims to ensure that:

Outcome 1: The safety, protection and dignity of internally displaced persons in IDP settlements are enhanced.
Outcome 2: The most vulnerable IDPs, including women, children, persons with special needs and the elderly, have enhanced access to basic services and mitigation of vulnerabilities.
Outcome 3: Somali regional and local authorities as well as international humanitarian partners have enhanced capacity to identify protection risks and to prevent and respond accordingly. 

DRC will achieve Outcome 1 by providing technical and training support to IDP communities, government duty-bearers and other humanitarian stakeholders to identify and respond to protection risks and concerns (Output 1.1): DRC will conduct weekly visits to each IDP settlement to map new and developing needs and any gaps in the quality or access to service delivery to IDPs. DRC will utilize this as a basis for engaging with relevant stakeholders for extension of services. DRC will facilitate the establishment of community based protection focal points, delivering training and awareness raising on the identification and response to protection risks, and supporting the protection focal points in promoting awareness of protection risks, special needs and services available. A special focus will be on identifying and responding to child protection and sexual and gender based violence prevention and response.

DRC will achieve Outcome 2 by facilitating that protection cases in drought and conflict-affected IDP sites are identified, referred and responded to (Output 2.1) and providing governmental officials, humanitarian workers and other service providers with knowledge and skills to identify, prevent and respond to protection risks across the sectors and services provided to target IDP sites (output 2.2). This will be achieved by the mapping of and the linking up of community-based protection focal points to service providers for each IDP site. DRC will support these focal points to make referrals or, where relevant, make such referrals directly. DRC will support local duty-bearers to address violations and vulnerabilities, including by providing individual protection assistance for up to 200 cases as required. DRC will ensure that the most vulnerable have adequate access to information regarding age and gender specific services available, by ensuring that awareness raising is delivered in age and gender sensitive spaces and linked up with activities that reduce the risk of stigma or exposure

DRC will achieve Outcome 3 by facilitating the deployment of a Protection Cluster Co-Faciitator (PCC) for the Somali Region who, with the support of UNHCR’s Office in Jijiga, will help establish and facilitate the regional Protection Cluster to be established in the region. Under this outcome, the PCC will facilitate the mapping of protection actors in the region, encourage their participation in relevant meetings and activities, oversee and support the collation of information gathered by mobile protection teams other service providers, and ensure and maintain an operational focus directed at resolving protection concerns, and enhance the coordination at regional level and between Somali region and stakeholders Addis Ababa.