Lifesaving emergency health response project in drought and conflict-affected communities of Gashamo and Deka Seftu Woredas of Jarar and Liban zones of Somali Region Ethiopia. Organization for welfare and Development in Action (OWDA) is proposing a lifesaving emergency health response project in drought and conflict-affected communities. The main objective of the project is to improve essential health services to targeted populations, focusing on to reduce the causes of morbidity, sexual and reproductive health in vulnerable communities, with top priority given children under the age of five, elderly, people with physical injuries, disabilities and mental health needs. Similarly, the project will help to focus on the early warning system of disease surveillance, outbreaks preparedness, detection and response including the current COVID-19 pandemic. The project will support 29,578 beneficiaries including 6 IDPs sites, within 2,174 households (Source: DTM 22) with an estimated budget of $ 120,000.11

The project target woredas are hotspot priority 1 woredas: Gashamo Woreda of Jarar zone and Deka Seftu of Liban zone. The impact COVID-19 cases amongst internally displaced people and host communities devastated their health service delivery and stretched the weak health systems beyond the capacity to undertake the routine health activities. The proposed Lifesaving emergency health Response project will support a variety of health services through including outpatient consultations and treatment, health education, routine vaccination for children under five, antenatal care, delivery services, postnatal care, family planning, communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases and referrals to higher services. MPHSS activities and COVID-19 measures will be taken to ensure the response is integrated approach and promoting to maintain the essential health services and benefiting from the health intervention for the targeted vulnerable communities in the project target locations. Patients with pre-existing, new physical and mental disabilities will be also supported for clinical care and linked to other related services in the continuum of care. Likewise, the project will be supported and strengthened, the existing integrated disease surveillance and response system. preparedness actions will be undertaken in IDPs and host communities for the project target locations to mitigate the impact of outbreaks when they occur. 

The project will liaise and support the multi-sectoral Ongoing response including COVID-19 pandemic in order to enhance and contribute to the minimization of caseloads, deaths and the impact on the health system. Similarly, the project will help prevent, detect and treat cute malnutrition through Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) including Therapeutic Feeding Program (TFP) and Targeted Supplementary Feeding (TSFP) for moderately malnourished children of 6 to 59 months old and malnourished PLW. Mainstreaming of Gender and Protection activities will be prioritized during the intervention. In line with the 2020 Ethiopian Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) Mid-year, the proposed project will deliver a full- spectrum of emergency health intervention including prevention, treatment, case management, community mobilization and case identification to achieve and sustain the project outcome. OWDA will adopt COVID-19 prevention and control measures during the implementation activities and special consideration will be given during staff conducting screening in house to house visit,  and staff capacity building and community mobilization gathering, and this will help reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.