Essential health, nutrition, and WASH assistance to conflict-affected IDPs, host communities, and other vulnerable populations in Tuban, Lahj Governorate under priority three. As an integrated health, nutrition (HampN), and WASH project, activities will focus on preventing disease outbreaks and reducing morbidity and mortality among internally displaced persons (IDPs), and host communities and other vulnerable populations under priority 3 of the YHF 1st Standard Allocation 2021 in Tuban district, Lahj Governorate. 

For HampN activities, Medair coordinates closely with local authorities and ministries, such as the GHO and DHO, as well as the relevant clusters. Data collected through Medair’s HampN activities will continue to be shared with the relevant focal points and authorities at the appropriate levels (local, district, governorate, and national). Medair will implement two mobile medical teams (MMTs), with associated community health and nutrition volunteers (CHNVs), to provide curative (OPD, OTP for SAM, TSFP for MAM CU5 amp PLW) and preventative (EPI, ANC, PNC, MUAC screening, IYCF) essential integrated health and nutrition services according to the Minimum Service Package (MSP). These will serve the IDPs and associated host communities in Albatera and Al Meshqafah camps. 

Under WASH, the activities will be coordinated through the CCCM (Norwegian Refugee Council) and WASH clusters. Medair’s WASH Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPampR) team will provide assistance across five locations in Tuban district. WASH will be integrated with Medair’s HampN interventions in Albatera and Al Meshqafah camps. Additionally, WASH alone activities will take place in Beer Omar, Al Kandam, and Khadra camps. Activities will include water trucking, FRC monitoring, water point rehabilitation/construction, sustainable water system rehabilitation, construction of septic tanks, desludging, solid waste management, distribution of WASH NFIs, and behavioral change education. 

Needs of vulnerable groups are considered in the design and implementation of the project. For example, focus group discussions (FGDs) will be held with men and women and people with disabilities (PWDs) to ensure their views are considered before and during the design stage. Water point taps will be made low enough to ensure children can reach them, as they are often the main water collectors. 

The key risks to staff safety and implementation are restricted access due to insecurity, delayed approval from the authorities, and protracted landownership approvals for construction activities. As permission has already been granted for Medair to work in these locations by both the Ministry of Health (MoH) and Ministry of Water (MoW), the sub-agreement should be approved. The Executive Unit of IDPs requested Medair’s EPampR WASH team to work in the five targeted locations and will therefore assist with landowner agreements where needed. Medair has a proven track record for the last two years of implementing successful HampN and WASH projects in the south of Yemen. In Lahj Governorate, Medair has existing HampN and WASH projects funded by SDC and World Vision, therefore the context, challenges, and operating environment is well known. Medair has a strong WASH EPampR team based in Aden, comprising of male and female staff. The team has already been implementing activities in four of the five camps, and therefore has good relationships with the communities. This will help the activity implementation to run smoother and quicker. In the WASH, Health, and Nutrition Clusters, Medair has shown itself to be an organization who can respond quickly in an emergency and ensures programme quality from the outset.