Provision of lifesaving Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Response to Drought-Affected Communities and newly Displaced IDPs in Garbaharey District, Gedo Region - Somalia The drought condition in Somalia continue to worsen following three consecutive below-average rainy seasons and failure of the Deyr rainfall in 2021. According to field reports acute and widespread water shortages has been observed in Garbaharey District of Gedo Region in Somalia. Most surface and shallow water sources are reported to have dried across the two districts leading to earlier than normal and widespread water trucking as the primary source of water in the two districts. This has forced people to move to IDP camps, where they lack basic services including safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene services among other such as food. There is high incidence of water-borne diseases and growing protection concerns faced by women and girls, people with disabilities, minority groups, and the elderly, and conflict is arising over scarce resources. 

In this context, Mercy Corps will lead a WASH intervention targeting 18,318 people for 12 months (4396 men, 4763 women, 4580 boys, 4580 girls) in Garbaharey District. Accordingly, Mercy Corps proposes to target 66% of the PIN in Garbaharey with the rest of the people to be targeted by other agencies. Mercy Corps aims to 1) provision of emergency water trucking to rural communities  2) deliver life-saving WASH assistance to reduce the acute need among the vulnerable IDPs and communities 3) reduce protection risks against women, children and vulnerable groups accessing WASH services and 4) rehabilitate/construct new water points as well extension of distribution networks in order to provide/restore sustainable access to safe water and adequate sanitation services in the targeted communities 5) support solid waste management especially in urban IDP settlements 6) hygiene promotion on behavior change as well as provision of women/adolescent girls dignity kits.

To increase access to safe water, Mercy Corps will rehabilitate one borehole water supply scheme, protect 7 shallow wells, fabricate 5 portable water tanks, and strengthen water management committees (70 community members with each WMC comprising of 7 members), and build capacity of LAs, plumbers and pump mechanics on O+M of water points. For sanitation services, Mercy Corps will construct 100 deslugible gender-segregated and disability-friendly latrines in congested IDP camps and host communities. To reduce the negative impact of risky practices and minimize the risk of disease outbreak, the intervention will distribute 100 sanitation kits for solid waste management and 1636 hygiene kits shall be distributed (in-kind or through cash modality) based on availability in the local market. The kits shall include menstrual kits targeting adolescent girls and women. The content of the kits will meet WASH cluster standards and will be topped-up with shelter NFI items through the integrated package. WASH committees will be trained to ensure water safety and quality. Community hygiene promoters will also receive training to undertake house-to-house hygiene education. 
Mercy Corps will ensure community participation in targeting. Overall, Mercy Corps will ensure that, as WASH activities are implemented, the contextual issues of different needs of men, women, boys, and girls, taking into account age, gender, and diversity (AGD) factors, including social background and disability are taken into account. To ensure that the aged population and PLDs have good access to water and sanitation services, MC will consider them during the design stage. 
Mercy Corps is one of the main actors present in Garbaharey district implementing emergency response and resilience activities and has easy access to the drought-affected rural communities and IDP new displacement sites. Mercy Corps is already responding to the drought crisis in Garbaharey district by providing life-saving multipurpose cash assistance to 500 households (3000 people) to address household food security and WASH needs.