Emergency Nutrition, Health and WASH Response Integrated with IYCF in Six Woredas of Afdher and Liban Zones of Somali Region Islamic Relief is proposing Nutrition, Health amp WASH multi-sectoral project aims  to improve essential lifesaving nutrition, health and WASH service provided to vulnerable host communities and IDPs in Bare, Elkare, Chereti,  Gorobekeksa amp Guradamole woredas of Somali Region. Standalone WASH project will also be implemented in Hargalle woreda of Afder zone in response to WASH needs while nutrition program is proposed for Gorobekeksa amp Guradamole woredas of Liban zone to address the immediate needs. Bare,Elkare, Chereti, Gorobekeksa and Guradamole woredas are among 37 woredas of Somali region identified by ENCU, Health and WASH cluster for multi-sectoral intervention by considering  presence of  high SAM admissions, high infectious disease and WASH need in 2019 and in the beginning of 2020.

Nutrition, Health and WASH needs is increased in Bare, Elkare, Gorobekeksa, Guradamole and Cherrati as a result of  high SAM admissions, Outbreak of cholera as a result of lack of improved  WASH services frequently reported from Afder zone, the 1st cases were  seen in Bare woreda in the mid-of December-2019 and in Chereti and Elkare woreda in February 2020 that hospitalized 621 people and took the lives of 7 people (Afder Zonal Cholera Task Force report Apr 2020). And recently the case is observed in four villages of Hargelle woreda and Dollo Ado woredas.  People most affected are who resides along Web River bank. The risk of the outbreak of cholera highly threatening the neighboring woredas populations since they are using the same sources of water which is unsafe for drinking if not properly treated and lack of improved sanitation facilities. Whereas, other ongoing climate induced crisis that is mainly characterized by shortage of safe drinking water, poor hygiene and sanitation practices, are not yet solved. The recurrent food amp under-nutrition crises and increased frequency of measles and cholera outbreaks in the course of 2019 are now further exacerbated by desert locust infestations and COVID-19 pandemic. 

The situation in Afder and Liban zone woredas particularly in Bare,Elkere, Chererti, Hargelle, Gorobaqaqasa and Guradhamole is further aggravated by the recurrent drought, flooding and presence of large number of IDPs (59,899 IDPs (DTM-20). These further exacerbate the situation, by putting IDP and pastoral communities with weaker access to essential lifesaving nutrition and health services, lack of safe drinking water, inadequate hygiene and sanitation. Cholera outbreaks in the areas are often resulting in further increase of SAM incidence. On top of this, spread of COVID-19 pandemic may create additional burden on the lives of IDPs and pastoral communities in Afdher and Liban  zones and likely worsen the humanitarian situation as movement is currently restricted, livelihood opportunities decreased, and prices of food and basic necessities inflate.

Hence, an effective and integrated emergency response approach will be required with high level of integration between the three sectors that include Health, Nutrition and WASH in order to curve the looming situation as  much as possible. The proposed project will be implemented for six months starting from 1st of June 2020 to November 30, 2020 in three selected woredas of Somali region with estimated cost of $880,000.(WASH 250,000USD in four woredas (Cherrati, Elkere, bare and Hargelle), Health 150,000USD in three woredas (Bare, Cherrati and Elkere) and Nutrition with 480,000USD in four woredas (Cherrati, Bare, Gorobaqaqasa and Guradhamole). 
The WASH intervention will mainly cover safe water supply through water trucking, water schemes rehabilitation, pipeline extension and upgrading in to solar scheme, hygiene and sanitation promotion,  WASH NFIs distribution and construction of IDP latrines. The project will also provide support to HFs through water supply, installation of hand washing facilities, provision of cleaning materials and training.