Ethiopia – Northern Ethiopia Humanitarian Update Situation Report #36 – November 18, 2022
FAST FACTS
- International Medical Corps is operating 22 mobile medical units (MMUs) that have provided services to more than 810,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) settled in 26 IDP sites, as well as to affected host communities in the Afar, Amhara and Tigray regions.
- International Medical Corps’ MMUs are providing integrated health, nutrition, gender-based violence (GBV), mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services.
- Services were suspended on Monday October 17, due to concerns about the escalation of the situation in Tigray
More than 3.9 million people in Tigray and more than 10 million people in Amhara have been affected by events in these regions and need health services and interventions. In Afar, only 94 of 414 (23%) health facilities are functional, including two hospitals and 31 health centers. In Amhara, more than 500 health facilities and 1,706 health posts need to be rehabilitated, renovated and supported with equipment and supplies to be operational.
Despite these challenges, International Medical Corps has continued to offer services and support to those affected by the current events in Tigray. With the cessation of flights and road convoys to Tigray since August 26, International Medical Corps implemented its contingency plan to guide our field teams, and centered its focus on continuing to provide lifesaving activities and ensuring that resources lasted as long as possible.
On Thursday October 13, the situation within Tigray became very fluid, with our staff continuing to provide services while monitoring the situation. On Monday, October 17, International Medical Corps decided to suspend all services in the Tigray region and requested that staff hibernate while our teams continued assessments and examined measures to ensure the safety of staff and beneficiaries. We currently are completing this analysis, including updates from our field teams, and with the recently signed truce agreement, plan to resume services as soon as possible. In the meantime, our teams are pre-positioning supplies in multiple locations, which will enable them to scale up a response as needed within the region as soon as air and road transport resume to our operational areas.
Source: International Medical Corps