HelpAge International

Published purpose

February 2022 – Although the devastating conflict in northern Ethiopia has attracted the most attention since its outbreak in late 2020, it is only one of many interethnic disputes driving humanitarian need in the country. The western state of Benishangul-Gumuz has been beset by intercommunal conflict and rapidly deteriorating security since, at least, 2018. Current estimates indicate that more than 500,000 people are now displaced in the region of just over 1 million. The conflict has been marked by recurring attacks on civilians, with women, children, and other vulnerable members of the community bearing the brunt. With GAC support, HelpAge is addressing the essential humanitarian needs of vulnerable internally displaced persons, refugees, and host communities in Ethiopia’s Benishangul-Gumuz region, with a particular focus on the elderly and other people with specific needs. Project activities include the provision of: (1) age- and disability-specific items (such as mobility aids, raised beds and toilets); (2) supplementary food rations; and, (3) in-home health and nutrition services to some of the most vulnerable members of an already highly vulnerable population.