Drought Emergency Response in the Borana Zone (DERB) Ethiopia is a landlocked country. It is divided into 11 regions and two city administrations under these regions, plenty of zones, districts, and kebeles are structured for administration purposes. The country has more than eighty ethnic diversities with about 120 million people. Of the total population, 50% are female and 50% are male with a 2.6% annual population growth rate. About 42% of the population is under 15 years of age. Eighty-three percent live in rural areas and depend on rainfed agriculture for their livelihoods. Eight-seven percent of the population is “multidimensionally poor”, suffering from some combination of food insecurity, insufficient access to adequate education and health services, and inadequate employment opportunities. These challenges are due, to climate shocks (mainly drought and floods), to conflict, war, insecurity and disease outbreaks coupled with a deteriorating economy. Consequently, humanitarian and development situations in almost all parts of Ethiopia are deteriorating.
Drought has mainly affected people living in the southern, southeastern, and eastern parts of the country. According to UNICEF Ethiopia Appeal 2023, at least 31.4 million people, including 16.5 million children, 7.8 million women, and 5.7 million people with disabilities are suffering due to multiple, overlapping hazards: severe drought, flooding, conflict, armed conflict, inter-communal violence, and outbreaks of diseases including cholera, measles, and malaria.
In the southern and eastern regions of the country (in the Oromia, Afar, Somali, and Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Regions. The worst drought in 40 years has impacted 24.1 million people where more than 3.5 million livestock have died, and the livelihoods of pastoralists and agro-pastoralists have been extinguished. Families have been forced to migrate in search of food and pasture, forcing children to drop out of school and increasingly face child marriage as the only prospect for a family's survival. An IPC classification of 4 (emergency levels) is indicated in all affected regions through January 2023. Recent ‘Find and Treat’ nutrition campaigns have shown a proxy global acute malnutrition mean average of 23 percent in the drought-affected regions, exceeding the global emergency threshold of 15 percent.
Southern Ethiopia part, particularly, Boren zone(almost all districts) has been severely affected by the drought impact. It caused water scarcity, food insecurity, and severe disruption to livelihoods. It is resulting in rising food prices, increasing malnutrition rates amongst children, and displacement of people searching for food and pastures. If not addressed, the drought may lead to famine-like conditions.
Drying or low-quality water sources also increase the risk of diseases. As these assessments from zone sectors demonstrate, the current drought is the worst seen in a generation. With a grim weather outlook for the March to May main rainy season, the zone is likely heading towards the fourth consecutive seasonal failure. Taking this severe drought into consideration, Cordaid, EECMY DASSC, and HUNDEE have planned a response project through financial support from Kia and Cordaid global office. The general objective is Saving lives of drought affected people and contributing towards rehabilitation of livelihoods in one district of Oromia region for three months. 
Specific objectives of the project are;
★	To enhance food security for 1,250 people’s (250HHs) through the provision of unconditional, multipurpose cash;
★	To improve the nutritional intake and health status of 150 malnourished children, 100 PLW, and 50 old persons through the provision of supplementary food aid;
★	To increase 5,350 people’s (1,070HHs) access to potable water through rehabilitation of three hands dug well water schemes, provision of water management and hygiene messaging; and
★	To enhance resilience capacity of 500 livestock (Cattle) to the current livestock disease outbreak through the provision of vet drugs Total beneficiaries: 1,250
Women: 264
Children: 437
Men: 275
Elderly:62
Disabled:212