Emergency WASH support to newly displaced, existing IDPs and host communities who are at high-risk of water-borne disease and in pre-famine areas in Ad Dihar and Al Mashannah Districts, Ibb Governorate, Yemen International Medical Corps UK (IMC) proposes to provide emergency lifesaving WASH interventions to vulnerable comunities in Ad Dihar and Al Mashannah districts in Ibb Governorate through the support of the Yemen Humanitarian Pooled Fund. The Yemen WASH Cluster considers Ad Dihar and Al Mashannah districts among the 169 districts at risk of AWD/cholera outbreak and are classified as IPC 4 and 5. The two districts were selected in coordination with the local authorities and WASH cluster at the subnational level to ensure that newly displaced and host communities at high risk of AWD/Cholera and in pre-famine areas have access to safe water and sanitation services. This intervention aims to reach 57,600 individuals with WASH services, including 20,000 IDPs (51,000‬ in Ad Dihar and 6,600 in Al Mashannah Districts).

The proposed response will provide newly displaced households and host communities with water vouchers to exchange for safe drinking (chlorinated) water from water vendors. The intervention will incorporate a holistic approach by offering rehabilitation of the water supply and sewage systems as well as desludging of overflowing household and institutional sanitation infrastructures (latrines and septic tanks) in these two communities. Water Management Committees (WMCs) will be created  and provided with capacity building support and the tools required to ensure the continued operations and maintenance of newly rehabilitated water systems. International Medical Corps will conduct regular water quality monitoring focusing on the Free Residual Chlorine (FRC) and fecal coliform bacteria levels. Community mobilization on hygiene promotion and mass information sharing will be undertaken by locally recruited and trained community volunteers in the local language using pictorial messaging to promote positive behavioral changes. In addition, WASH NFIs will be provided with specific focus on hygiene kit materials particularly dignity kits for women and girls under reproductive age using the voucher modality. International Medical Corps will mainstream protection principles in the proposed activities through ensuring gender inclusive WASH committees with a ratio of 60:40 of men to women representation. The committees will be trained on the  operation and maintenance of WASH infrastructures to mitigate conflict around WASH facilities. Prior to the distribution of WASH NFIs kits, women and girls will be consulted with regards to kit contents in coordination with the WASH cluster. As part of the protection mainstreaming and building capacity of International Medical Corps staff on protection issues, WASH committees and Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) will be trained on Protection Principles. This will ensure that  project activities to be implemented will promote meaningful access, safety and dignity to targeted beneficiaries. The proposed project will be funded 100% by OCHA. IMC has not secured other funding  to implement the proposed activities.