Nourishing Hope

The Issue

Refugees in Gambella and Afar regions of Ethiopia are highly dependent on food rations from the World Food Programme and the government. Natural resources are scarce, competition between the local population and refugees has prevailed.

In Afar region, the recent conflict in the northern part of the country in November 2020 to November 2022 has led to mass displacement, loss of livelihoods, and destruction of infrastructure in areas such as Berhale, Konoba, Abala, Megale, and Dalol Woredas. Gender-based violence, including rape, is widespread, but there is a lack of support services for survivors.

In the Gambella Region, the ongoing political instability and conflict in South Sudan has resulted in a massive influx of refugees since 2013. Inconsistent food aid provision and limited livelihood opportunities contribute to malnutrition and increased vulnerability among refugees, especially pregnant women and children. The competition for resources and potential ethnic tensions further compound the challenges faced by both refugees and host communities.

The Project

In Afar, the program will support refugees and Internally Displaced People in drought and conflict affected areas through an integrated approach addressing immediate food, nutrition, and protection needs. In Gambella, the program will work to increase food security and access to a variety of foods for vulnerable refugees in Nguenyiel, Jewi, and Kule camps and to increase self-reliance by providing both refugees and the host communities in Gambella with better employment and income opportunities. This intervention will follow an integrated approach of humanitarian, development, and peace nexus to facilitate the transition of emergency assistance towards enhancing sustainable income generating livelihood activities that can cover basic needs. Specifically, refugees targeted with e-voucher or cash support will systematically be targeted for livelihood and economic empowerment support, thus enabling them to produce food and income from their own activities and eventually move out of the food security support.

The Change

This project will improve food security and dietary diversity through electronic fresh food vouchers and cash support for conflict and drought-affected Eritrean refugees in Berhale, Serdo and Aysaita and Internally Displaced People in Berhale, Afar region, and for South Sudanese refugees and host communities in Kule, Nguenyiel, and Jewi, Gambella region.

The Results

The project has the following overarching objectives:

• To improve food security and dietary diversity through electronic fresh food vouchers and cash support for conflict and drought-affected Eritrean refugees in Berhale, Serdo and Aysaita and Internally Displaced People in Berhale, Afar region, and for South Sudanese refugees and host communities in Kule, Nguenyiel, and Jewi, Gambella region.
• In Afar, the consortium will support food insecure refugees in Berhale, Serdo and Aysaita and Internally Displaced People in Berhale by creating access to complimentary food through electronic fresh food vouchers and Multi-Purpose Cash Transfer assistance. In Berhale refugee camp, the consortium will establish a fresh food market and provide support through electronic fresh food vouchers to improve dietary diversity. In Serdo and Aysaita camps as well as for Internally Displaced People in host communities in zone two, the most food insecure households will be supported through Multi-Purpose Cash Transfer to address their immediate food needs.
• In Gambella, DCA will implement the food security component using electronic fresh food voucher assistance in Kule and Nguenyiel camp, while piloting Multi-Purpose Cash Transfer in Jewi camp.
• To enhance self-reliance and economic empowerment of South Sudanese refugees and host communities in Gambella region through improved livelihood opportunities.
• DCA will focus on establishing work opportunities that will create income for host communities and refugees through livelihood support and market connections. This intervention will promote livelihood initiatives such as home gardening and rainfed crop production for refugees at their backyards.

To strengthen gender-based violence response for survivors, and implementation of gender-based violence- prevention, coordination, and risk mitigation measures across sectors for refugees and internally displaced people in Berhale and Serdo, Afar region.

Our work

DCA has supported relief projects in Ethiopia since the 1970s. It operated through local partners since 1982 and in 2004 the country office in Addis Ababa was established. DCA has field offices in Sekota-Waghimra (Amhara Region), Semera (Afar Region), Robe Town (Bale, Oromia Region) and Gambella city (Gambella Region). DCA Ethiopia’s programme interventions target rural, peri-urban and urban poor, internally displaced people, refugees and their hosting communities as direct beneficiaries. DCA works across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus to bring about sustainability and cohesion. Additionally, DCA introduces innovative and appropriate technologies to address vulnerability, fill in knowledge and skills gaps, build local capacity, and when applicable, works closely with the private sector.  

---