Doctors Without Borders

Published purpose

In Ethiopia an estimated 6.2 million people now require emergency food assistance and other humanitarian aid, including water, sanitation, and nutritional support, as a result of the poor rains throughout the past two years. This is in addition to an estimated 8 million chronically food insecure Ethiopians who already receive food support under government "safety net" programs. The humanitarian situation in the Ogaden region, in eastern Ethiopia, is further exacerbated by an ongoing low-intensity conflict between ethnic-Somali separatists, the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), and Government of Ethiopia forces. The insecurity stemming from the conflict has often limited humanitarian access to populations in need and threatened the safety of both local and international humanitarian workers. Canadian support of MSF operations in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia is helping it to provide emergency medical support to conflict and drought-affected populations. The core of MSF's operations is its support of two Bureau of Health health centres in Wardher and Galadi towns, where it is strengthening basic healthcare delivery (in-patient and out-patient services, immunizations, reproductive health, TB treatment, nutritional support, etc).