On the whole, HEKS/EPER projects in the country have so far not been directly affected. Most of the projects had to be paused, owing either to the state of emergency declared because of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country or to local violence. Despite these pauses, HEKS/EPER and its partners have been able to keep on delivering activities and people have continued to receive support. The situation in Ethiopia is still highly volatile and the outlook remains far from positive. NGOs, partners and the international community have not been directly impacted by the ethnic clashes or the government's restrictive new policies. Further disruption of activities and of access to the project area is expected around the time of the elections.
According to the 2020 Ethiopian Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP), an estimated 19.2 million people are in need of humanitarian support. Due to internal and external factors such as political instability and climate change, millions of Ethiopians have been forcibly displaced, disempowered, and are without basic services such as water, shelter, and sanitation. Refugees lack access to sanitation and safe drinking water. Food security and the health situation are rapidly deteriorating.
HEKS/EPER has responded to the needs of the displaced population. They have no access to sanitary facilities and clean drinking water. HEKS/EPER is therefore building urgently needed latrines and rehabilitating water points in order to improve access to clean water and enhance the general sanitation situation. HEKS/EPER Ethiopia has implemented several projects on the ground to respond quickly and effectively to this humanitarian crisis in four areas, namely the Oromia, Amhara, SNNPR and Somali regions. HEKS/EPER currently has a total of eight projects in these regions. These are being carried out in collaboration with local and international humanitarian organizations. This aid benefits around 86,000 people.