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Context

Second most populous country in Africa, with almost 130 million people, Ethiopia is a melting pot of different ethnicities and cultures. Home to Lucy, considered to be one of the oldest homo-sapiens fossils, Ethiopia is also known as the land of origins, where human evolution has been taking place in this part of the world for million years.

Today, Ethiopia is dealing with significant challenges, spanning from internal conflicts, climate change and extreme weather conditions, such as floods and landslides, as well as epidemics and outbreaks. Food insecurity affects 15.8 million people. Malnutrition affects about 1 million children and around 350,000 pregnant and lactating women, especially in hard-to-reach areas of rural Ethiopia.

Two years after the signing of the Pretoria peace agreement, ending the war in Tigray in 2022, 4.4 million people remain internally displaced, while conflict continues in parts of Ethiopia between the federal government and armed opposition groups.

Today, 21.4 million people are in need of humanitarian aid in different parts of the country.

Our approach
Description of the mission

Première Urgence Internationale launched health and nutrition activities in Afar and Benishangul-Gumuz regions in 2023, providing life-saving health services, and responding to urgent nutrition and food security needs of populations affected by conflict, epidemics, and climatic events.

After the landslides in South Ethiopia in July 2024, we responded by launching two mobile clinics, providing life-saving health and nutrition services to displaced people and affected communities.

In 2024, we extend support to more communities, and internally displaced populations in Benishangul-Gumuz, fighting malnutrition and food insecurity in hard-to-reach communities in Afar and responding to needs of communities affected by landslides and floods in South Ethiopia.

Première Urgence Internationale
in action

Première Urgence Internationale has been supporting 15 health facilities and communities in remote and hard-to-reach areas of Metekel Zone in Benishangul-Gumuz, since June 2023.

Our teams aim to strengthen the local health system, ravaged by years of conflict, by ensuring health staff are equipped with the right skills, medicines and equipment, to respond to health needs of host communities and displaced people. Our organization counts and supports networks of mother-to-mother support groups, to conduct screenings to detect malnutrition in children under 5 and pregnant and lactating women, spread health education and raise awareness for better prevention, treatment and referral of common morbidities in the region.

In April 2024, renewed fighting in the neighbouring Amhara state, led to further displacement into Metekel zone, of Benishangul-Gumuz. We deployed two mobile clinics, providing life-saving health and nutrition services to both displaced populations, and host communities.

In Afar, a region heavily affected by the conflict in Northern Ethiopia, Première Urgence Internationale intervenes to respond to alarmingly high rates of malnutrition and food insecurity. The objective is to improve the prevention, detection and treatment of severe acute malnutrition, in both children under 5 years of age, lactating and pregnant mothers. Our teams provide support to 19 heath facilities in hard-to-reach areas through life-saving nutrition activities, conducting trainings to health staff and supporting the referral system for emergency cases. Food security and livelihood activities also help tackle the root causes of malnutrition.

Mirko Zappacosta

Head of Mission Ethiopie © Première Urgence Internationale

“Première Urgence Internationale in Ethiopia focuses on providing quality health, nutrition and psychosocial support services to communities affected by conflict and extreme weather conditions in Afar, Benishangul-Gumuz and South Ethiopia regions. Today our teams support 24 health facilities and 4 mobile clinics, providing lifesaving and life-sustaining services to some of the most hard-to-reach communities in Ethiopia. ”