Improving Water Supply and Hygiene Interventions for IDPs and vulnerable host communities in Buur Hakaba District ltpgtIn Somalia, a prolonged drought
has resulted in water sources drying up, rising water prices, and extensive
loss of livestock, hampering food production and placing immense pressure on
already vulnerable communities’ ability to access food and water. By July 2022,
an estimated 7.1 million people were in need of food assistance across the
country, with over 2.1 million people classified in Integrated Food Security
Classification (IPC) Phase 4 (Emergency) and more than 200,000 people likely
experiencing Phase 5 (Catastrophic) levels of food insecurity. ltbrgtlt/pgtltpgt

lt/pgtltp style="text-align:justify" class="MsoNormal"gtltspan style="mso-bidi-font-family:
Calibrimso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin"gtConditions are particularly concerning
in Buur Hakaba districts where malnutrition and mortality rates have surpassed
emergency thresholds, alongside disease outbreaks, including cholera and
measles. Findings from multiple sources indicate critical WASH situations
across both district, particularly in internally displaced person (IDP) sites, hosting
displaced populations from largely inaccessible areas, whose vulnerability was
exacerbated due to extended periods of limited access to water and food
insecurity in their places of origin and during displacement. Heightened
physical vulnerabilities among drought-affected populations are likely driving
the ongoing cholera and measles outbreaks and high incidence of diarrhea in
the district, and when coupled with poor health services environment, are
likely contributing to the severe nutrition, morbidity and mortality outcomes. Since
access to safe and clean water is the main challenge faced by IDPs and the
vulnerable poor host communities, provision of safe water is a key priority
according to the local administration and well as the local community. Therefore,
it is crucial to scale up water and sanitation interventions alongside other
humanitarian assistance, without which a significant reduction in morbidity and
mortality is highly unlikely. lt/spangtlt/pgtltpgt

lt/pgtltp style="text-align:justify" class="MsoNormal"gtltspan style="mso-bidi-font-family:
Calibrimso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin"gtIn Buur Hakaba district, displaced agropastoral
households are camping in 2 IDP sites, namely Misaare and Aye
Dhurey and 6 villages which include Ugari, 4 Goley, Baale, Banzole, Shidlow Nasiye and Gododey with extremely limited access to adequate safe water,
sanitation and health services. The sites are verified by ltspan style="background:white"gtCommunity Empowerment and Social Development
Organization lt/spangtand SOS in November 2022, hosting a total of 953
households (6,693 individuals) of which 55% are female and 45% male at the time
(CCCM Cluster Somalia: IDP Sites in Buur Hakaba). These IDPs depend for
their water needs on dilapidated, unprotected shallow wells and water pans. Both water sources are
susceptible to contamination as all defecating and dumping sites are located in
or along the waterways. As a result, outbreak of AWD and other waterborne diseases are common in the IDPs
Sites.  Considering pre-existing food insecurity and undernutrition has
likely compromised their immunity, these IDPs are facing an elevated risk of
mortality. Evidence to support this is: in Buur Hakaba a new ‘spike’ of cholera
cases was recorded through April 2022 (WHO, Cholera - Somalia, Accessed on 15th
August 2022). lt/spangtlt/pgtltpgt

lt/pgtltp style="" class=""gtThe objective of the project is to improve access to safe water, context specific appropriate sanitation facilities
and hygiene promotion for conflict affected most
vulnerable IDP households and host communities  The objective will be
achieved by (a) increasing access to adequate quantity of safe water for target
IDPs, which is critical to help prevent the transmission and spread of
diarrheal disease and support response to AWD outbreaks in IDP sites (b) Improving hygiene practices at camp level to curb the spread of waterborne diseases and (c) Improving awareness and knowledge through community health
promotion.ltbrgtlt/pgtltp class="sceditor-nlf"gt





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