Enhance protection for the conflict affected communities of Medebayzana, Axum, AtsegedeTsimbela, and Shire in Central and  North West Tigray , Ethiopia This proposal is developed in response to the humanitarian crises in the central and northwest zones of the Tigray region that resulted due to conflict. According to OCHA March 2021 situation report, the situation in the central zone of Tigray is particularly concerning, where about 460,000 people need critical humanitarian assistance. Reports of sexual violence are widespread across the region. While more than 110 rape survivors are currently seeking medical care in several medical institutions. According to the Protection Cluster, these incidences are believed to be greatly underreported due to fear of stigma, discrimination, and repercussion. Moreover, since many areas in Tigray remain inaccessible, it is difficult for GBV survivors to receive urgent and life-saving medical care, GBV case management, or mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS). Women and children displaced are at heightened risk of abuse and exploitation. According to the multi-sectorial assessment conducted by WVE, lactating and pregnant women are experiencing severe problems due to anxiety, fear, stress, and nightmare in the Shire. There are abandoned and separated children in the IDP site of Shire but it is difficult to support and protect them from any forms of violence due to lack of registration and adequate response. Tens of thousands of people displaced from the Western Tigray Zone continue to arrive in Shire Town, overwhelming the existing humanitarian capacity. 

The goal of the proposed project is to contribute to the improvement of quality of life of crisis-affected children and women in the selected Woredas of Central and North West zone of Tigray region through strengthening community-based structures, child protection (CP) and gender-based violence (GBV) case management systems, improving access to psycho-social /Psychological first aid, basic services and building the capacity of service providers, etc. Towards this end, World Vision Ethiopia will implement a comprehensive project which focuses on strengthening the case management system to identify, refer and support children at risk, GBV survivors, and vulnerable children, ensure the coordination of services through establishing functional referral pathways in all target woredas, facilitating family tracing and reunification of unaccompanied and separated children (UASC), expedite alternative care arrangement by facilitating foster care options for UASC whom parents are difficult to trace, and to ensure long term care, and strengthening the capacity of community-based child protection mechanisms and service providers through organizing capacity building training, and creating access to safe channels to report sexual exploitation and abuse, etc. Moreover, WVE is planning to integrate COVID_19 activities in the project implementation to prevent infection and curb the possible spread of the virus as well as support the children affected by the pandemic. Some of the planned COVID-related activities include: developing information education communication (IEC) materials and messaging relevant to COVID and conducting awareness raising activities that address COVID-related issues in line with the national guidance of social distancing and avoiding large group activities etc. 

The proposed project will take place in 4 woredas of Central and North West Tigray Zone Medebayzana, Axum, AtsegedeTsimbela, and Shire (also know as Indesilasie) for 12 months with a total budget of $ 500,000. The proposed project will prioritize the most vulnerable section of the population and will reach a total of 45,487 internally displaced people through these protection interventions. The project will contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of the conflict-affected children and women in the target weredas of the Tigray region.