WASH Emergency and Recovery Interventions for the Conflict Affected Populations in West Guji Zone, Oromia Region According to the 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) released early April 2019, 8.3 million people are food insecure in Ethiopia and Some 4.3 million people are targeted for nutrition support, including 609,961 children under five years of age targeted for the treatment of severe acute malnutrition (SAM). More than 7.2 million people are targeted for emergency water, sanitation and hygiene response and some 4.8 million people to receive emergency health services. In addition, 1.4 million people are targeted for emergency agriculture and livestock interventions, while 2.7 million displaced people and returnees are projected to benefit from emergency shelter and NFI assistance until the end of the year.

The inter-communal violence in various areas of West Guji Zone that continued with variable intensity has affected the communities living in the Zone, exposing them to critical lack of access to basic food, loss and reduction of livelihood assets and livelihood opportunities and lack of access to safe water supply, safe and private sanitation facilities, causing immense malnutrition and high mortality rates. Following the government’s plan to return the IDPs to their original places, there have been significant changes in the context including closure of several collective centers for IDPs and people were relocated to their original location. However, many returnees are still vulnerable as their houses have been burnt down and many IDPs are still unable to return due to insecurity in their home areas. In addition to this, the returned population are also going back to the IDP sites or settling in the host communities due to reasons which are not clearly justified. WASH facilities and other resources within the host community have been overstretched/damaged. Therefore, the need for WASH facilities and NFIs remains higher in West Guji Zone.

West Guji is currently hosting 353,344 Internally Displaced People (IDPs) mainly in 11 sites. According to the displacement snapshot done on March 2019, these people are likely to remain displaced as the humanitarian needs are expected to remain significant, to norther part of overall direction of West Guji. For instance, according to round 6 DTM done in March, Bule Hora hosts 70,663 displaced people. Out of these 7,929 (11%) are in collective sites and 62,734 (89%) are in host communities. In addition to this, in January and early February several incidents were reported which has contributed for the IDPs to remain displaced and for delay for humanitarian aid to reach.

The recent displacement snapshot done in March 2019, informed on the origin of IDPs in West Guji. Accordingly, 57% are displaced within the same zone while 36.4% of IDPs are displaced from Gedeb Woreda in Gedeo of which 100,452 (95%) came from three kebeles (Chelchele, Banko Diditu and Harmufo) out of 12 kebeles. As per the priority sectors/interventions outlined in the Allocation Paper, Oxfam is proposing to assist the conflict induced IDPs, returnees and host communities in Bule Hora and Abaya woredas of West Guji Zone through lifesaving WASH response, with gender and protection as key cross-cutting theme. The proposed Interventions are highly aligned with Allocation Paper of EHF: 
(a) Oxfam is proposing for rehabilitation of existing ground water sourced water supply systems, by increase the performances and outreach of the targeted schemes, to ensure continuous access to safe water
(b) Installation of sanitation facilities – to restore safety and dignity, reduce risks and meet the immediate sanitation needs of the affected population (latrine and bathing construction) and 
(c) Hygiene promotion including WASH NFIs – to meet the immediate needs while influencing for safe hygiene practices of the targeted communities.