Shelter Response for Returned IDPs in Gelana and Birbirsa Woredas of West Guji Zone In May 2019, GoE launched a return plan  of IDPS across the country and the displaced communities from Gedio-Guji Zones of SNNP and Oromia who were victims of internal conflict starting from April 2018 were part of the plan. The aim was to return some 2.1 million IDPs from major areas of displacement including Gedeo-West Guji zones to their place of origin. The return of massive number of IDPs is presenting a very huge challenges in shelter. According to the Emergency Shelter and NFI cluster, more than 59,750 returnees at the national level need assistance in the area of shelter construction and reconstruction or rehabilitation, as of November 2019, and out of this a total of 33,403 returnees requiring assistance are found in Oromia region. In West Guji alone there are over 9,394 returnees urgently requiring shelter assistance. This project aims to address the needs of 1,050 households, i.e. 750 HHs in Gelana woreda and 300 HHs Households) in Birbirsa Kojowa woreda returnees and host communities. 
returned households followed after the massive displacement due to conflict between ethnic Gedeos and Gujis through the construction of transitional shelters complemented with cash transfer and this will be the priority activity for the returnees in this response. Provision of cash will based on data collected regarding market feasibility and assessment. Level of destruction and other criteria will be used as filters for the prioritization. The reconstruction activities will provide immediate life-saving shelter for those households whose houses are destroyed.

Climate induced hazards and impacts, lack of basic social services and facilities including shelter and other humanitarian and protection consequences continue to affect the physical protection and the living condition of the returning population from primary, secondary and sometimes tertiary displacements. In this response priority will be given to people living either in an open space, in transit or in completely damaged houses. As guided by the ESNFI cluster, the prioritization for Emergency Shelter is guided by type of emergency/displacement, duration of displacement, and sub-standard shelter conditions including people, among other things. In-kind Emergency Shelter Repair kits in combination with cash will be the priority activities in this response. Provision of cash will be based on information regarding market feasibility and assessment. In this response, WVE will reconstruct totally damaged houses, i.e. houses with complete destruction, near total loss of structure or more than 50% damage requiring demolition and reconstruction. Construction or repair of individual shelter on original land parcel will be done after obtaining Woreda / Kebele list of pre-displacement residents and this will be done by identifying beneficiary and matching with resident list, with the support of Kebele authorities and the community committee and by obtaining written statement from identified tenure holder, Kebele/Woreda authorities confirming positive identification. In case where proper documents and evidences are not available, extra steps will be taken to identify beneficiaries using ESNFI cluster guidelines to address HLP (House, Land and Property/ issues. This shelter intervention modality is designed to be implemented through both in kind and cash transfer approach which makes cash transfer constitutes 30% of the resources allocated in this response.  As set out in the ESNFI cluster guidelines, basic requirements for targeting include mandatory components that every beneficiary will be applied in the implementation of the program.