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Safety of IDPs

Metasebia Teshome
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Safety of IDPs

Trish Okenge is the Country Director of Ethiopia at Food for the Hungry (FH) and serves out of FH’s office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Trish joined FH as a Project Administrator in Rwanda in 1996. She was promoted to various roles, such as Program Coordinator, until 1999. She returned to FH as the Program Director in Rwanda in 2012, then moved to Uganda to serve as a Country Director in 2014. Trish began her current role as Country Director in Ethiopia in January 2019. In this role, Trish is responsible for programmatic leadership and strategy, including donor relations, networking and relationship management among partners and other NGOs, ensuring Ethiopia’s program strategy is in alignment with FH’s organization strategy, and reaching desired program goals. Additionally, she oversees program and operations aspects of the country office, including human resources, finance, logistics, security, IT, resource development, and humanitarian and development programs.
Trish is passionate about leadership development, organizational health, developing thriving staff members, and church empowerment within FH communities. She says, “FH affords me the opportunity to live out my faith in concrete action, living out my calling.” She talked to Capital about how FH is assisting the needy. Excerpts;

Capital: When did FH get involved with the building of Sebacare 4?

Trish Okenge: FH became involved during Sebacare 4 site selection and detailed implementation planning stage together with IOM, UNICEF and Samaritans Purse in mid-March, 2021. Following a successful WASH facilities design consultation with the WASH cluster which is coordinated by UNICEF, FH started the construction of WASH facilities (latrines, showers and water systems) in April, 2021 and completed it in June, 2021.

Capital: Do you have an estimate on when the camp will be ready to start housing displaced peoples?

Trish Okenge: It was originally planned to relocate IDPs to the camp at the end of May, 2021. However, most of the shelter and WASH facilities were not ready by then and the regional emergency response coordination authorities decided to move IDPs in to the camp on 15th of June, 2021 anticipating that the facilities would be ready by then. Finally, WASH facilities and the shelters were ready by the anticipated timeline but IDPs haven’t been relocated to the camp yet.

Capital: What does the process of housing people look like?

Trish Okenge: UNHCR, IOM and Samaritans Purse are actively engaged on shelter construction at the Sebacare camp site. UNHCR and IOM have been building communal shelter blocks with HouseHold (HH) partitions inside of it whereas, Samaritans Purse has built HH blocks. Sebacare 4 is the only camp in Mekelle currently and covering a portion of the IDPs shelter needs. When the committee thinks about housing people, everything needs to be considered like shelter, water and hygiene, protection, infrastructures that the IDPs will need like access to markets, places of worship, safe places for children, education, and health services as a start.

Capital: Has FH taken on initiatives like this in the past? If so, where and when?

Trish Okenge: In camp settings, FH had had interventions to support Eritrean refugees at Shimelba camp before the Tigray region conflict. More recently, FH has been involved supporting Eritrean refugees at Adi-Harush camp. Specific to constructing WASH infrastructure for IDP’s, FH constructed latrines, showers, and water systems in Mozambique recently.

Capital: Tell me about the gender-specific sanitation being built in Sebacare 4. Why is this needed and how was it lacking in other IDP camps?

Trish Okenge: FH implemented sex-segregated WASH (latrine and shower) for women/girls in order to shelter them from potential abuse. FH believes that women and girls should equally use the facilities without fear or shame. Culturally, women won’t use latrines being used by men, therefore to ensure equal service for men and women, WASH facilities should be gender-specific and located at a near proximity to women’s place as much as possible to avoid the potential danger of long walking distance in-between their place and the sanitation facility. All of the sanitation facilities built by FH at Sebacare 4 are lockable from the inside. At some other camps we learned that even though the sanitation facilities are sex-segregated they may lack light and are located at a considerable distance away from where women and girls live. As a result, such sanitation facilities won’t be accessible for women and girls at night.

Capital: In areas in which there was no gender-specific sanitation, what were the consequences?

Trish Okenge: Women/ girls usually won’t be willing to use the sanitation facility in that case. It may result in environmental pollution due to open defecation and it encourages the use of flying toilets. Moreover, the lack of gender-specific facilities for women and girls in the camp setting is psychologically damaging. It is possible that these women and girls were exposed to some form of abuse during the conflict and if favorable conditions are not in place for them, they may end-up in a more traumatic condition due to day to day fear and shame of using no gender –specific sanitation facilities.

Capital: How will FH and those working on Sebacare ensure the safety of all IDPS housed in the camp?

Trish Okenge: Sebacare 4 camp has to be well protected for the safety of the IDPs and all of the facilities in the camp.
There should be a responsible authority to administer the camp to ensure the general safety of the IDPs
Once the IDPs move, FH has a plan to train IDPs representatives (women and men) from each shelter cubicle on how to protect IDPs’ safety and encourage them to report incidences to the responsible body. Beneficiary protection mechanisms will be put in place where reporting options are explained.
FH will liaise with camp administration & authorities responsible for protection and security; with regard to crime, abuse and exploitation, ensuring that monitoring, reporting and response mechanisms are established and known to all of the camp community in order to facilitate access to justice;
FH implements its own internal beneficiary safeguarding policy to ensure no harm to IDPs while staff are operating the aid service for the needy community members.

Capital: In your view, what does a safe IDP camp look like? What are the requirements to make a camp safe?

Trish Okenge: The camp should be free from any form of violence such as Sexual violence Rape, assault, molestation, inappropriate touching. Psychosocial violence Harassment, bullying, or causing fear, stress or shame. Physical violence Beating or fighting leading to injury or death. Socio-cultural violence Social ostracism, political marginalization, social norms with negative impacts
The camp should be free from injuries related to facilities inadequate design or unsafe construction, such as through sharp edges, slippery floors, collapsing pit latrines, or contact with hazardous wastes.
Well protected (fenced) and controlled access from the main road
It should be away from the conflict area and flood zones
Facilities in the camp should be accessible for all age groups and inclusive
It should be well lit: at minimum, sanitation facilities should be located at near proximity for night time access specially for women and girls.
The camp needs an active camp administration and functioning incidents reporting and feedback mechanisms
The camp needs well-established environmental health management and needs to be equipped with facilities to ensure a safe environment.
The camp should have a women’s and girls’ safe space for counseling, referrals and guidance
The IDPs camp should be organized enough to limit the entry of external perpetrators.
All the facilities supporting the life of the IDPs in the camp should meet minimum SPHERE standards.
The aid workers working in the camp need to know and practice Code of Conduct and implement Do No-Harm principles

Capital: How is FH working to meet those requirements in Sebacare 4?

Trish Okenge: FH strives to maintain a safe camp for IDPs within the scope of the interventions we do. Also, FH deliberately implements beneficiary safeguarding policy to ensure IDPs safety. The WASH facilities that we constructed are carefully aligned to SPHERE standards and the design has been agreed upon through consultation of a wide number of stakeholders.

Capital: Why did FH choose to focus its work on the women and girls affected by the crisis?

Trish Okenge: People with a range of special needs are groups FH prioritizes in all of its interventions. Women and girls are the most vulnerable segment of the IDP population. Working in view of addressing their vulnerability, to ensure their safety and security among the IDPs, is our priority. Also, people with range of special needs are groups FH gives priority with all its interventions.

Capital: How is FH working to prioritize the women and girls who will be housed in Sebacare 4?

Trish Okenge: FH considers women and girls’ vulnerability in the planning, design and implementation of emergency response project. In view of that FH strives to maintain women and girls’ safety and security factors within the WASH intervention of the Sebacare 4 camp. Also, FH has plans to promote behavioral change on protection perspectives such as any type of Gender-based violence that can be expected to happen in the camp setting from time to time.

Capital: What are FH’s other projects in the Tigray region?

Trish Okenge: WFP project (general food distribution- Tselemti, Mai Tsebri, Dimma)
DRA WASH project (WASH NFI’s, food, and cash distribution – Alamata, Shire)
JEOP project (Food distribution- Naeder, Adet, Tahtay Maychew, Abergelie Yechilla, Tanqua Milash)
KOICA Eritrean Refugees’ Support project (Adi Harush camp)
OCHA agricultural support project (seeds and fertilizer- Naeder, Tahtay Maychew)
IOM RRF Shelter NFI project (Axum)
UNFPA Women and Gils Friendly Spaces (GBV response and prevention- Mekelle, Shire, Humera)

Capital: What is FH’s overarching goal for its work in Tigray? In other words, what would you like to accomplish beyond the specific initiatives?

Trish Okenge: FH aims to see the end of human suffering in Tigray Region

Capital: Have you or do you have plans to expand these projects beyond Tigray and into other regions of Ethiopia that are in need?

Trish Okenge: Yes, based on funds availability, we strive to work and grow to our vision (to see human suffering ended worldwide)

Capital: What impact would you like FH to have on the people housed in this camp and those benefiting from your aid projects?

Trish Okenge: FH wants to see IDPs benefiting from our interventions and their life conditions improved and comforted.

CBE’s LC approval receives mixed reactions

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CBE’s LC approval receives mixed reactions

The financial giant, Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE), has approved the long awaited massive foreign currency requests despite clients welcoming the decision with confused responses.
Some clients claimed that it has imposed stringent access to the letter of credit (LC) but others argued that the decision of CBE should be appreciated and the preconditionals are not new on the system.
Capital learned that on July26 the state financial enterprise had approved the stranded LC request which was waited upon for one and half years.
However, some exporters told Capital that the approval was followed by stringent preconditions that were issued on July 29.
Clients explained that the latest approval that came from CBE is a big relief for importers who were waiting for over a year, while the precondition like depositing 100 percent to open LC and refusing to change unit price was noted to be a challenge.
The internal memo that was issued on July 29 indicated that all importers must block 100 percent to open LC or get purchase order approval for utilizing this foreign currency (FCY) approved currently.
Experts on the sector explained that up to 50 percent shall be blocked for approval and the balance may settle when the document has arrived.
The memo added that change in items of proforma invoice including unit price increase is not allowed, “But reduction in quantity maintaining the total price (amount) is permitted as far as the quantity reduction does not imply increase in unit price by more than 5 percent.”
Some importers argued that global price is volatile let alone for approval of LC that waited for over a year price which might be changed in days. “In the past at least one year the commodity unit price of course changed due to that the precondition that CBE imposed is unfeasible and does not consider the changed time,” exporters told Capital.
“Such kind of decision is encouraging under invoicing since exporters accept the unchanged unit price but actually, he or she buys the product by the changed higher price, thus he or she is pressed to look at the gap from other sources like the black market,” one of the exporters claimed.
However, some other importers have rejected the argument of those that claimed CBE has refused the unit price change. They said that although the bank refused the change on unit price, it has given space for quantity reduction, “that means the unit price change shall be accommodated by volume reduction.”
These importers accepted that price might be changed particularly in the current global situation that affects by COVID 19, inflation and freight price increment and lack of containers. “I think the importers who have argument on CBE decision may have import of a single commodity like machine that would be difficult for them to change price on unit price,” one expert elaborated the condition.
According to experts on the foreign trade, CBE only imposed limitation of unit price and is to reject for the revision of total LC request.
CBE has also given approval for one proforma for those who have two or more requests, “CBE may select one request number B in good sense that for instance it may have higher amount of foreign currency than request A but the importer may demand the import of commodity that is requested under A,” an exporter said.
“It is one of the gaps I have seen on the latest approval,” one of the big importers told Capital.

Unleashing Addis’ growth potential

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Unleashing Addis’ growth potential

The World Bank’s inclusive development framework plan shows that Addis Ababa would need close to USD 9 billion in the coming ten years period to be a competitive city.
The World Bank document, ‘Addis Ababa’s Strategic Development Framework’ was released late this week with the objective of the plan being to make the biggest city in Ethiopia more sustainable, livable, and inclusive and to make competitive city.
It added that the framework objective aims to; address complex challenges that require integrated interventions, shift the approach from sector specific to spatially integrated challenges and solutions, coordinate multi-sector efforts to maximize development synergies and impacts, indentify prioritized interventions for key binding constraints, and contribute to the city’s 10 year development roadmap towards more competitive, livable, sustainable and inclusive city.
The Framework was built through multiple stakeholder engagement processes, involving more than 100 key sector representatives and experts.
“Addis Ababa is the largest, fast growing, demographic, economic and political center of Ethiopia, leading the country’s socio economic development. While leading Ethiopia’s socio economic growth, Addis Ababa faces significant challenges to cope with rapidly growing demands for jobs, housing, infrastructure as well as increasing hazards and risks, affecting the city’s competitiveness, livability, sustainability, and inclusivity,” the preamble of the document said.
Empower land markets and promote integrated planning, foster interagency collaborative arrangements, enhance sustainable municipal financing, and establish city data governance and management, leveraging digital technology are stated as fundamentals under the framework.
Enhance an enabling business or investment environment, foster growth in high value-added industry clusters using skilled workers and innovation, and connect culture and innovation has been stated as the objective for competitive city pathway.
Under livable city pathway it has targeted to attain enable housing market and upgrade information settlement, improve access to infrastructure and basic services, ensure equitable access and quality of social services, and develop walk-able and green neighborhood.
For sustainable city pathway, it has been stated to improve environmental and ecological quality and to promote climate resilience through green development, while it has also been set to make inclusive city that will include to; foster more and better jobs and social activities to youths, women, reinforce human capital, social safety net, and inclusion in public services, and strengthen citizen engagement.
For institutions and system improvement that includes integrated land planning, inter-agency coordination, sustainable municipal financing, and data governance and management it estimated the budget of USD 191 million for short term that is up to two years and USD 546 million for medium and long term.
Under a competitive city that includes business environment, skills and innovation, and cultural assets the cost estimated USD 73 million and USD 245 million respectively in two different terms mentioned above.
Similarly for the pathway of livable city that considered targets including housing, basic services, social services, walk-able and green neighborhood the budget might be USD 1.113 billion and USD 3.83 billion for short and mid long term goals respectively.
For projects like environment and ecology, and climate resilient green development that was included under a sustainable city pathway, USD 66.5 million and USD 2.214 billion was required for short term and mid and long terms.
For projects like gender, human capital, safety net, public services, citizen engagement that was included on inclusive city of the framework, USD 236.7 million and USD 457.5 million is required respectively in the stated different periods.
In total, USD 8.97 billion would be required in the two implementation period for project to be run in the coming years.
Key reform actions to break policy impediments and unleash Addis’ growth potential are fostering to regularize properties, adopt market-based compensation, reinforce formal transaction, increase land auction, expedite cadastral updates; and simplify lease to enable easy and fast transfer and use of lease as collateral, and emplace advance evidence-based city planning and management by integrating land use, disaster risk management, transport, housing and infrastructure planning and monitoring systems; increase the capacity to tighten compliance monitoring, development control and enforcement measures; build the capacity to understand and implement integrated plans in a coordinated manner.
It added that for the establishment of an enforceable incentive mechanism for vertical and horizontal coordination for spatial planning, infrastructure development, and implementation monitoring; and develop advanced knowledge and practice in developing and maintaining city-wide integrated data and IT system, and improve public investment management; reinforce property tax; and leverage the value of existing assets to finance public infrastructure and introduce land-based financing such as land value capture, land readjustment, development gains restitution, betterment levies as further key reform actions.

EIAR to seek license of field trials for GM false banana

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EIAR to seek license of field trials for GM false banana

The Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) is going to file its request to introduce confined field trial (CFT) for genetically modified (GM) enset (Ensete ventricosum/false banana) in two different locations.
Ethiopian researchers have been collaborating with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture on a project that is using genetic engineering to develop varieties of enset that are resistant to the devastating bacterial wilt disease.
After getting approval from the relevant body, EIAR has been engaged on testing the transformed type of the plant that is resistant to bacterial wilt xanthomonas on contained laboratory research.
Tadesse Daba, Director of Biotechnology Research at EIAR, said that for the last over seven years the Institute as been engaged on testing the GM enset at laboratory level.
Starting mid-1970s, the Institute’s scientist Getachew Hirgu had identified the problem faced on enset.
He said that the main reason for starting the test was that the plant, which is one of the key food security crops, has been affected by bacterial disease, “so far sustainable solution is not found for the problem, while it has been effective by the genetically engineered type of plant.”
Scientists in Taiwan had identified the gene which comes from green pepper shall be used as a solution and the tools of modern biotechnology will successfully be tested on banana. “Similarly our scientist conducted the transformation on enset in Kenya and the technology has become fruitful,” he reminded.
The research at contained laboratory has been also successful.
“We have secured fund through Ethiopia Biotechnology Institute to conduct the research on CFT, while it needs permission from the regulatory body, similar to the process of getting approval for laboratory level test,” the scientist explained.
Currently EIAR is developing a document for the request to approval to get a license for field trial.
“In this budget year we will file our request for approval and if we are allowed, we expect to commence in the coming season at the field on suitable areas for the plantation,” he said.
The CFT is expected to be at Areka and Wolqite, “In Areka, we have Agricultural Research Center specialized on banana and related plantations and Wolqite is popular on enset cultivation.”
Enset is a staple food for millions of Ethiopians mainly in the southern central part of the country.
Tadesse said that COVID 19 as global problem has affected researchers here, for those who are engaged on ground and practical works all together, “we are also working with such kind of works with international partners with regular meetings, while it has been slowed down because of the pandemic.”
After long CFT, which represents Ethiopia’s first field trial of a GM food crop, for GM maize dubbed to drought tolerant and insect resistant EIRA had filed to get approval from relevant body, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Commission, who have already accepted the application and referred to the National Biodiversity/ Biosafety Advisory Committee that is comprised of senior experts from 13 institutes who are in charge for final approval.
Tadesse said that the response from the independent committee that was formed by the Office of the Prime Minister has been delayed because of COVID 19 effect. He expected positive responses to come soon that will allow EIAR to undertake further trials.
“Multiplication variety trials that may take up to three years depends on the number of trial areas will be the next step for GM maize to get final approval from National Variety Release Committee for environmental release or commercialization,” the Director of Biotechnology Research explained.
The GM maize CFT was conducted at Melkassa Agricultural Research Center, 110 km south east of Addis Ababa for drought resistance and Bako Agricultural Research Center, 250 km west of Addis Ababa for the test of resistance for insects.

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