Tigray, Amhara, Afar , Metekel (IDPs) Gambella, BG (refugees) Protection and EiE (project) SUMMARY
This action addresses needs of crisis-affected populations through integrated EiE and CP interventions, articulated under 4 results. R1 and R2 target conflict-affected populations impacted by the Northern Crisis in Tigray, Amhara, Afar, and IDPs and vulnerable host communities affected by inter-ethnic violence in Metekel (BG). This IDP response starts in June 2022, with the Metekel component kicking off in July 2023 once the ongoing ECHO project (ETH102313) is concluded, and ending in June 2025. R3 and R4 target refugees residing in Tsore (BG), Nguenyyiel (Gambella) and Alemwach (Amhara), with operations starting in July 2023 and ending in June 2025. R1 (Protection) and R2 (EiE) are implemented by Plan, together with its consortium partners Actionaid (12-month GBV response in Amhara and Tigray), World Vision (34-month EiE and CP response in Tigray), imagine1day (34-month EiE response in Amhara and Tigray). R3 and R4 are implemented by Plan alone (24 months). Ethiopia is dealing with large numbers of refugees and internally displaced persons, in addition to ongoing drought. While a peace agreement in November 2022 formally ended the northern conflict, high humanitarian needs due to the conflict remain and leave many people internally displaced. In Gambella and Benishangul-Gumuz, there is a large number of South Sudanese refugees. The influx of refugees is expected to persist and might even increase, while the Regional Refugee Response Plan is severely underfunded. 

The deficit in funding coupled with high humanitarian needs has a direct impact on the delivery of assistance to at-risk populations, including unaccompanied and separated children, female-headed households, survivors and at-risk children of different forms of abuse, violence, neglect and exploitation. The high number of vulnerable children, coupled with the deterioration of the context due to Covid-19, the recent conflict, and the ongoing influx of refugees, place CPiE and EiE as high priorities in both the western regions of Gambella and Benishangul-Gumuz, and the northern regions of Amhara, Afar and Tigray. 

See "O:\IP\4 Programma's\Projecten\ETH102368 ECHO 2022 Northern Crisis\Key documents\1. Proposal\HIP2023 MR\2022_00257_MR_03_03_17-May-23.pdf" p. 8 for more information. The principal objective of this Action is to promote access to basic services for conflict-affected populations, including IDPs, returnees and refugees, in Amhara, Afar, Tigray, Gambella and Benishangul-Gumuz through integrated life-saving protection and education assistance. The specific objective is to provide age and gender-sensitive, inclusive and conflict-sensitive protection and education services to the most vulnerable conflict-affected IDPs, returnees, refugees in Amhara, Afar, Tigray, Gambella and Benishangul-Gumuz regions of Ethiopia. The Action synergizes with several projects, building on interventions in WASH, child protection, health, education in emergencies, food security & livelihoods and nutrition. Plan's EUD project will serve as an important long-term education intervention complementing this response, particularly in Afar and Tigray. The nexus links will be followed up to ensure that children can attend well-equipped formal schools, while also providing continued access to education during displacement. In Tigray, this action also complements DANIDA and USAID projects respectively focusing on child protection and livelihoods. PIE’s BHA intervention in Tigray, Amhara and Afar will provide added value in terms of referral linkages particularly for students, given its multisectoral approach in child protection, WASH, health and nutrition. This Action will further be implemented in synergy with the UNHCR-funded project in Alemwach, which implements child protection. In Benishangul-Gumuz, the action will be linked to UNICEF, GFFO, LEGO Foundation and EU JOFA-funded projects, focusing on child protection and SRHR, which complement the intervention under ECHO. Conflict, displacement and poverty make protection risks particularly high for adolescent girls, a specific target of the project. Other groups prioritized:
- Children separated from families
- Children and women-headed households 
- Out-of-school children
- GBV survivors 
- Pregnant women and lactating mothers
- Families with persons with disabilities and elderly Protection activities will focus on:
- Conducting joint child protection and GBV participatory protection risk assessments
- Provision of comprehensive case management services for Unaccompanied and Separated Children, other vulnerable chidlren and their caregivers
- Provide access to MHM materials to vulnerable women and girls through in-kind/cash assistance
- Psychosocial support to children and women
- Capacity building in child protection in emergencies and GBV to create a safer environment and improve quality of response.
- Community dialogue events on addressing child protection risks and GBV
- Establishment and strengthening of community-based protection structures through technical, material and training support
- Strengthen coordination among child protection service providers, update service mapping and share lessons learned with partners to ensure that CP/GBV issues are mainstreamed in the entire humanitarian aid operation

Education activities will focus on:
- Rehabilitation and maintenance of existing school infrastructure and construction of new school infrastructure where necessary (including WASH facilities and furnishing)
- Enabling and supporting the enrollment as well as the retention of girls and boys in formal primary education schools
- Recruiting/retaining educational and supportive workers in formal primary schools through incentives
- Ensuring a protective and inclusive learning environment
- Ensuring access to supplies and scholastic materials for girls and boys in (non) formal primary education
- Provision of MHM kits and training adolescent girls on life skills, SRH and on producing reusable sanitary pads
- Capacity building of primary school teachers to improve educational outcomes
- Organising accelerated school readiness programs or alternative learning programmes in IDP and other affected sites
- Increase children's access to education in Nguenyyiel through the provision of the nonformal Accelerated Learning Programme 
- Establish and strengthen school-based community structures to improve education service delivery
- Strengthening the participation of girls in education and supporting the improvement of their academic achievements The planned project consists primarily of lifesaving activities, but they all have a direct link with the current and future development initiatives. The project activities have strong capacity-building components for the affected community members, as well as national service providers, community structures, teachers, PTAs, local government agencies including health care providers, etc. These mentioned groups and institutions will be actively contributing to the community and government system, enhancing sustainably and supporting the current and future development initiatives. Further, by fostering children’s (re-)enrolment in schools, retention and ensuring basic primary education, the action will contribute to long-term strategies of reducing communities' humanitarian needs. Moreover, the psychosocial support interventions provided by the action will help beneficiaries develop adaptive behaviours and coping mechanisms within environments of existing and unforeseen humanitarian crises. By doing so this action contributes to other related multisector program objectives that aim to reduce communities humanitarian needs.