The humanitarian situation worsens as more than 800,000 displaced people face cold and heavy rains in Ethiopia

Samira *, an Ethiopian displaced, holds one of her seven children in front of the tiny space she shares with other families on the Gedeb site . Credit: Olivia Headon / IOM 2018

DILLA, Ethiopia, 13 Jul 2018 (IOM) – More than 800,000 internally displaced persons are living in Ethiopia without proper shelter and sanitation, exacerbating the humanitarian situation exacerbated by the cold

Clashes last month between communities along the border of two Ethiopian regions – the Region of Nations, Nationalities and Peoples of the South (SNNPR) and the Oromia region – forced hundreds of thousands of people fleeing IDPs in June added to some of the smaller scale displacements that took place in April and May.

According to data collected by the IOM's Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), there were already 1,776,685 displaced people across Ethiopia. most due to drought and subsequent floods – before these last movements

Walking for days to find security, a lot of sleeping outdoors along the way, t The displaced communities have little or no no possessions beyond the clothes they left, neither food nor money.

Samira *, a mother of seven 22-year-olds who arrived three months ago in one of the first waves of displacement, now lives in Gedeb (Gedeo Zone), where local authorities have asked the IOM, the United Nations Agency for Migration, to focus its support on the management of the site.

His family left home with very little. . Her husband was also wounded in the leg when they were fleeing

"We have managed to escape our lives – we have not carried anything with us, only our children, but I know that & # 39; 39 there are people here who have worse than "We are really grateful to have shelter to protect ourselves from the outside, but we need more food and clothes – our kids are cold . There are good organizations that support us but we need a lot more. "

The Ethiopian government that has been leading the response since the beginning of the crisis, is fighting to provide vital humanitarian services to many displacement sites in the western area of ​​Guji." Zone (SNNPR), the latter hosting the majority

Many IDPs live with relatives in local communities or in rental housing, while others shelter in collective centers such as schools, government buildings and homes. Disused factories Those who remain in local communities still come to collective centers during the day to access humanitarian services.

Thousands of people are crowded into overcrowded collective centers and unfit for human habitation. 39 others sleep outside on dirt floors with nothing more than a tarp to protect them from the cold and rain. In poorly congested buildings, poor sanitation and cold conditions contribute to the deterioration of the environment, both from the point of view of health and protection.

IOM provides humanitarian badistance to displaced people. in an integrated approach focused on the distribution of basic aid, emergency shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), health care emergency primary and site management support. In addition, the IOM DTM supports the overall response by identifying the movements and needs of the population.

"With so many displaced people in such a short time, IOM mobilized intervention teams and resources to immediately badist the government and local communities." Maureen Achieng, Chief of Mission of the IOM IOM in Ethiopia and representative to the African Union, IGAD and ECA, said: "However, the rains continue and people have very little chance of surviving – more than "

Last week, IOM distributed 1,000 blankets and began building 40 community shelters to protect displaced communities from the weather." Here on Thursday (12/07), the IOM has distributed 1,000 blankets and started building 40 community shelters to protect displaced communities from bad weather. IOM has completed 15 of the planned 150 latrines and has begun digging several more.These activities are carried out in addition to rapid badessments of displacement and other forms of continued support.

For more 39, information, please contact Olivia Headon in Ethiopia, Té l .: +251902484062, Email: [email protected]