NRC in Ethiopia

NRC's operation

NRC is present in five of the 12 regions of Ethiopia (Benishangul Gumuz, Somali, Tigray, Amhara and Afar). NRC in Ethiopia focuses on providing emergency relief to internally displaced people (IDPs), refugees, returnees and host communities, and assists in rebuilding their lives. In 2023, NRC assisted 398,459 displacement-affected people through its various activities.

Education

Displacement-affected children, adolescents and youth have access to quality education through:

• lifesaving and protective first-line rapid education in emergencies (EiE)
• provision of safe, inclusive, age appropriate and quality education though formal and non-formal learning
• improved youth wellbeing through provision of marketable skills training and transitional livelihood support
• provision of teaching and learning materials
• capacity-building trainings to teachers, school administrators, education experts and community structures
• psychosocial support to children through classroom-based Better Learning Programme (BLP 1)
• construction/rehabilitation and equipping of learning spaces, WASH facilities and admin blocks

Information, counselling and legal assistance (ICLA)

Vulnerable refugees, IDPs and conflict-affected populations are able to claim and exercise their rights and attain durable solutions through:

• access to legal identity documentation (LID)
• enhanced housing, land and property (HLP) rights, including collaborative dispute resolution for HLP disputes, and access to HLP documents
• employment laws and procedures to remove barriers to wage and self-employment opportunities
• access to basic services and referrals to other service and protection providers
• enhanced capacity of duty bearers through capacity building training on responding to HLP and LID issues
• coordination of the HLP working group at national and sub-national levels

Livelihoods and food security

We support hard-to-reach displacement-affected populations and vulnerable host communities through:

• support to meet their basic food needs through multipurpose cash and emergency food supplies
• improving availability and access to food through community-led, climate-smart production and processing, promoting self-reliance
• natural resource management
• sustainable livelihood and income generation opportunities through employment/self-employment
• entrepreneurship and business skills trainings

Shelter and settlements

Populations displaced by climate-related events and conflict, as well as highly vulnerable returnees are provided with emergency shelter and non-food item assistance as part of the emergency response framework designed for affected communities, including:

• providing emergency/temporary shelter solutions and basic household items in the immediate aftermath of displacement
• improved access to transitional shelters for protracted IDPs and support for access to permanent shelters for returnees through cash modality and strengthening of local construction knowledge through capacity-building initiatives
• improved access to basic settlement infrastructure services

Water, sanitation and hygiene promotion (WASH)

IDPs and vulnerable host communities impacted by climate shocks, disasters and conflict have access to sustainable and locally driven WASH solutions, through:

• provision of safe, adequate and affordable water supply services in both collective IDP camp and community settings, with enhanced management of water infra-structure, ensuring water quality through coordinated oversight and capacity building
• appropriate, safe sanitation facilities and improved solid waste management systems
• strengthened sustainability of key positive hygiene behaviours, with enhanced capacity of local governance structures and community groups to effectively promote safe hygiene and sanitation practices
• preventive measures and coordinated response strategies for waterborne diseases and outbreaks

Emergency / rapid response

NRC focuses on reaching hard-to-access areas, delivering integrated emergency aid to displacement-affected communities within 72 hours, ensuring their urgent needs are met. The country office is staffed by a skilled and adaptable Emergency Response Team (ERT), recognised for its prompt, high-quality interventions aimed at alleviating suffering and enhancing wellbeing in crisis-affected regions:

• WASH: immediate distribution of WASH NFIs, hygiene kits, hygiene promotion, and rapid rehabilitation of water supply systems
• Shelter: rapid provision of essential NFIs, emergency shelter and NFI kits (ESNFI), and cash-for-rent support to disaster-affected populations
• Cash assistance: immediate delivery of multipurpose cash assistance to meet basic household needs
• Education in emergencies: immediate distribution of scholastic materials, construction of temporary learning spaces, and restoration of education services in crisis settings