Prolonged and recurring conflict across the Horn of Africa and the Sahel has resulted in dire humanitarian needs and forced millions of people to flee their homes, adopt negative coping mechanisms, and increased exposure to a multitude of risks. Gendered risks and impacts of food insecurity in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa include alarming drawbacks on access to sexual and reproductive health rights and services, women’s agency and participation, and dramatic increases in different forms of SGBV.

Survivors of SGBV in these communities, most of whom are women and girls, report rape, physical and sexual violence, intimate partner violence (IPV) and abductions. The increased incidence and risk of SGBV is compounded by the unavailability of health services, poor access to water and sanitation (WASH) facilities, and the lack of community-based mechanisms to reduce SGBV risk. This is perpetuated by urgent unmet humanitarian needs, deeply entrenched gender inequalities and harmful social norms that have heightened existing gendered power dynamics.

The interconnection between conflict, water and increased exposure to SGBV requires an integrated approach to directly respond to the urgent needs of SGBV survivors while simultaneously mitigating risks to save lives.

Project overview

The project is contributing towards reduced suffering, increased protection and lives saved of women, men, boys and girls, especially SGBV survivors, in targeted conflict and crisis-affected communities in South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso and Chad. The project takes a multi-sectorial, survivor-centred approach to respond to the intersectional SRH, SGBV and protection needs identified by SGBV survivors, while also mitigating SGBV exposure through community-based protection mechanisms, rehabilitation and provision of critical WASH infrastructure and hygiene items.

The project expects to achieve the following outcomes

Improved utilization of lifesaving and gender-responsive SGBV and SRH services and community-based protection mechanisms by targeted communities enabling enhanced and equitable utilization of lifesaving and gender-responsive WASH services by conflict-affected target communities, specifically to reduce the risk of SGBV to women and girls