Integrated Multi-sectoral Drought Response in Afdera and Elidar Woredas of Afar Region ltpgtMillions of Ethiopians are faced with multiple and at times overlapping disasters. According to the 2024 Ethiopian Humanitarian Response Plan, 21.4 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in the country. Of these 15.8 million people are in need of food assistance. According to the multi-sectorial drought assessment of Afar Region (January 2024) conducted on 15 drought prone woredas, indicated that ltspangtthe situation in all the assessed woredas is lt/spangtltspangtworsening with an estimated lt/spangtltspangttotal number of 591,954 (56%) people reportedly affected by the drought and oflt/spangtlt/pgtltpgt413,380 (69.8%) individuals in urgent need of humanitarian assistances. The prioritized sectors were food, WASH, health  nutrition, ESNFI, education, and protection. lt/pgtltpgtThis project focuses on Afdera and Elidar woredas of Afar Region. All three woredas are considered drought prone woredas and are impacted with the current drought in the region. Elidar is another woreda that is affected by the current drought. Currently, most of the water schemes in the woreda are not functional. The health system is another sector that is prioritized in the woreda. There is shortage of basic and under-five medication, ambulance, nutrition for PLW and Children in the health facilities. Afdera is also among the drought-prone woredas and the failure of two consecutive rains throughout the region exacerbates the severity of the problem. The health system is one of the sectors that is impacted in the woreda with shortage of basic medication, absence of OTP, SC, absence of health service providers, and shortage of are among the challenges. ltbrgtDrought, coupled with outbreaks of drought-induced livestock diseases, has resulted in a significant loss of animal resources. Food animals such as Cattle, sheep, and goats are vulnerable to a host of diseases, and loss of livestock that devastated local populations who depend on livestock for nutrition and livelihoods. Households that own livestock have limited access to veterinary services, due to limited input provision and limited government veterinary service provision. Field observations of target woredas also suggest a limited capacity to meet the essential vaccination campaign inputs such as vaccines, associated equipment (such as Automatic vaccination syringe), and supplies (vaccination needles and spare varl glass) which are scarce and frequently unavailable due to limited financial and logistics capacity of government to render such services effectively to reach the target of over 80% herd immunity coverage. Keeping livestock alive and productive is critical to these households’ livelihoods and nutrition. lt/pgtltpgtThus, CARE and MCMDO will be implementing integrated multi-sectorial interventions in Elidar and Afdera Woredas of Afar Region ltspangtto alleviate the challenges of these communitieslt/spangtltspangt. The project aims to reach 131,022 (70,972 Female and 60,050 Male) individuals through agriculture, WASH, health and nutrition interventions with a total cost of $1,700,000. lt/spangtltspangt lt/spangtlt/pgt