CO-Flood disaster response in Mbale The project is expected reach out to a total 50,000-55,000 individuals whose livelihoods has been affected by flooding; comprising of 18,000 in the most affected sub counties of Mbale district (Bungokho, Wanale, Busano, Bubyanguand Busano) and >35,000 individualstargeted in the worst affected areas of Mbale City (North and industrial divisions). The project will focus on provision of life saving essential WASH interventions in communities to enhance community ability to prevent and protect themselves against WASH relateddiseases. WASH interventions will also be delivered for affected schools but as rains continue, there might also be need to setup temporally facilities to enhance the beginning of 3rd term studies in September. Mainstreaming of Gender, Protection and Environmental management initiatives will be prioritized across all interventions. Oxfam will also use this intervention to engage the DDMCs at district level on enhancing community awareness on early warning/ early response initiatives. This funding will provide leverage forscale up of similar interventions under the ECHO DRR project (that is still under final approval) that also include Cash Transfer initiatives for early response. Modalities of implementation: Oxfam will implement the response in partnership with URCS an Oxfam partner currently operating within the region. URCS has a good knowledge of the geography, social and cultural set up of the area and previously worked with Oxfam and hence ear marked for partnership in executing the project linking it to a long term planned project on restoration of natural resources, disaster risk management response interventions in the Elgon region. Oxfam will lead the implementation of key hardware interventions and undertake all the procurements, URCS will support in implementation of software activities including distribution of WASH NFIs, community engagement and risk communication community sensitization in close collaboration with the authorities/line departments in Mbale city <(>&<)> district. Oxfam will deploy a Public Health Engineer (PHE) to URCS officesin Mbale to work closely with the URCS team. The Humanitarian Program Manager (HPM) will provide overall supervision and leadershipto the delivery of this response while the WASH Coordinator will provide the technical leadership with back -stopping support from Oxfam PHP TL on implementation of major software activities. Line departments at Mbale district and City authority will engaged and supported provide technical support and guidance on actual targeting of locations/communities and coordination of all actors to minimize duplications and enhance complementarity. Key planned deliverables: 1. Enhancing safe water access • Rehabilitation of broken-down bore holes, damaged pipe lines and protected springs within the affected areas: At least 15 bore holes, and 6 protected springs will be rehabilitated within Mbale city and Mbale district to restore back safe water supply to these affected areas. The rehabilitation will include well redevelopment, replacement of worn-out parts, reconstruction of embankment walls for the protected springs and disinfection for rehabilitated systems and environmental protection initiatives that would reduce contamination risks. Water management structures will be re-oriented on their roles and responsibilities. At least, 2 Water monitoring surveys (both bacteriologicaland FRC) will be conducted (1 in Mbale and 1 in the City) to determine the quality of water as well as informing further actions. This will be executed in close collaboration with National water and Sewerage Cooperation (NWSC) the water departments at both district and City Authority. • Installation and rehabilitation of existing rainwater harvesting systems: at least 2 flood affected schoolsin Mbale city and Mbale district will be supported with 1 rain water harvesting system each and repair the existing dysfunctional rain water system. This intervention assumes that these schools would be accessible for the learners at the beginning of 3rd term, otherwise there might be need for establishing water access options in temporally learning sites. • Distribution of Household Water treatment tablets: At least 80 boxes of water treatment tablets will be distributed to the affected population in Mbale district and Mbale city hot sport affected areas. This will enhance water treatment at HH level hence increasing access to safe water in areas as measures are undertaken to restore the water infrastructure since key safe water sources were all affected by floods, this thereforehelp in preventing occurrence of water borne diseases including cholera. Oxfam and URCS will work closely with Village Health Teams(VHTs) to facilitate demonstrations, distributions and awareness creation on appropriate use of the tablets as well as water quality monitoring. This will be a short-term measure and will be stopped immediately the rehabilitation of damaged water sources is complete. 2. Improving access to sanitation facilities • Desludging filled up VIP latrines, at least 30 blocks of filled up VIP latrines will be desludged within affected schools with limited access to sanitary facilities, this enhances access to sanitary facilities bylearners and teachers. This activity assumes that the schools will be accessible for the 3rd term studies and that the latrines will be re-usable after desludging. Otherwise, there might be need for construction of new latrines either in the schools or in any other temporally learning sites that will be established by government. • Procurement and distribution of 10 kits of latrine cleaning (5 hard brushes, 5 metallic buckets, 2 jerry cans of liquid soap,) and 10 kits of environmental cleaning kits (5 metallic buckets, 5spades, 2 wheel burrows, 5 hoes, 5 rakes, 5 slashers) to affected schools in both Mbale city and Mbale district for proper maintenance of sanitary facilities. This activity also assumes that the few existing sanitary facilities would be usable and can be kept in good conditions for leaners • Decommissioning of damaged latrines in the most affected areas of Mbale city and Mbale district, at least 250 damaged latrines will be decommissioned in both Mbale city and Mbale district, this will help reduce on public health risks as more rains continue. • Procure and distribute key HH latrine construction materials (1 dome shaped slabs, 4 poles, ½ assorted nails and 1 tippy tap) to support 850 extremely vulnerable households, this will be accompanied by community engagement and mobilization on HH latrine construction campaigns through VHTs. Additionally, 850 tippy taps will be distributed to the HH with completed latrines for enhancement of hand washing practices after latrine use.