Providing life-saving and sustainable WASH services to undeserved IDP and host  communities affected by floods in Merka district lower Shabelle region Merka communities face scarcity of safe and sufficient water due to abnormal dryness and floods coupled with the effect of pandemic since march 2020. At this critical moment, vulnerable communities rely on unsafe water for drinking and domestic use, leading to increased health risks and poor living standards. Floods further undermine the sanitation services available in Merka and its environs. During the most recent floods in August 2020, over 60 percent of latrines were non-functional due to the floods leading to high rates of open defecation and increased incidences of water-borne diseases. To reverse the negative impact of recent natural hazards and increase the resilience of Merka IDP and host communities, a sustainable WASH intervention capable of withstanding these shocks and improving living standards is vital. ARD will respond to this compounded risk by implementing living saving WASH services in six largely underserved and high-WASH risk IDP sites in Merka, including Ceel xaaji, Ceel Ahmed ,Shalaamboot,Horseed and Ceel Jaale IDP sites, and will serve 3,000 households (18,000 individuals). The below proposed WASH activities are fully aligned with allocation strategy for flood response and as well as WASH cluster response strategy detailed in HRP 2020
Water 
Through water voucher assistance for a period of 60 days, provide safe drinking water to 1,300 flood affected families who have no access to clean water, or their water points are unsafe for drinking and needs disinfection and rehabilitation
Construction/rehabilitation 20 unprotected shallow wells installed with hand pumps. ARD will ensure the all rehabilitated wells will have infrastructures that can resist future floods. 
To ensure the sustainability of rehabilitated water infrastructures, 20 WASH committees and 40 well operators will be trained on operation and management of water facilities.
Sanitation
Construction of 140 gender separated and desludgable flood proof latrines with lockable doors and handwashing facilities benefitting a total of 4,200 flood/AWD/cholera affected people. Around 7% (i.e. 10) of flood proof latrines will be allocated and designed for people living with disabilities (PWDS).
Carry out environmental sanitation services to all project target locations especially IDP camps to improve all preventive measures against the risks of AWD/cholera outbreaks in Merka district, 4,500 people will benefit the environmental sanitation services by conducting mass clean-Up campaigns to manage solid waste in IDPs and host populated settlements. ARD will procure and distribute 60 sanitation tools to support the cleanup campaigns. 
Hygiene
Using MBP/CVA modality, distribute 2,000 hygiene kits to reach 12,000 people affected by the floods or at risk of AWD/cholera in Merka district. The hygiene kit will constitute the following items: 200 aqua tabs, 1 Jerry can (20l Capacity), 1 bucket (20l capacity) and 5 bars of soaps (each 800mg) and 1 box of female sanitary item.
Conduct comprehensive hygiene promotion activities focusing on behavior change including hand washing with soap practices at critical times through health hygiene education campaigns targeting 18,000 people.
Train 10 Community Hygiene Promoters (50% female and 50% male) to conduct hygiene promotion session in project target areas
To ensure the sustainability of this action, ARD will collaborate with the affected communities and other humanitarian actors to ensure the affected population are provided with sufficient clean water services through water trucking for a period of 60 days, ARD will ensure to use voucher system through selection of the most vulnerable populations in Merka. Moreover, ARD will construct flood-resistant and gender-sensitive latrines to ensure year-round use as well as the distribution of WASH kits through vouchers, establishment of WASH Management Committees and hygiene sensitization sessions.