Stories
May 8, 2018 • 2 min read
GOAL’s primary interventions under the ERM involve treating children under five, and pregnant and lactating women for severe and moderate acute malnutrition.
"The ECHO-funded Emergency Response Mechanism in Ethiopia has helped to provide a life-saving response to the effects of disasters"
Since 2013, GOAL, in a consortium led by the International Rescue Committee, has been implementing an ECHO-funded project known as the “Emergency Response Mechanism” or “ERM” across all regions of Ethiopia. Ethiopia’s geographic, demographic and economic profile makes the country particularly vulnerable to disaster such as flooding, drought, and conflict.
The aim of the ERM is to respond to the effects of both sudden and slow-onset disasters that often result in high levels of food insecurity, malnutrition, poor health, and disease. By having flexible funding already in place, the ERM allows organisations to quickly respond to emerging needs with appropriate life-saving interventions in the water, health, nutrition, shelter and livelihoods sectors.
Typical activities might include providing shelter and non-food items for communities displaced by flooding, supporting the government to implement emergency nutrition interventions, carrying emergency vaccination of livestock to prevent disease from spreading, and providing clean water for communities affected by drought.
Under the ERM, GOAL is the technical lead on nutrition interventions. Since June 2017, we have implemented emergency nutrition responses under this grant in 23 districts in Ethiopia, across 4 regions: Somali, Oromiya, SNNP, and Afar.
GOAL’s primary interventions under the ERM involve treating children under five, and pregnant and lactating women for severe and moderate acute malnutrition. These groups are particularly vulnerable, and in conjunction with the government, GOAL helps to detect acute malnutrition and treat it with therapeutic and supplementary feeding programmes. We also work with mothers to help improve nutrition knowledge and practices in order to help prevent malnutrition.
Between June 2017 and February 2018:
• 8,735 children under five were treated for Severe Acute Malnutrition – 98.% were cured, far surpassing international SPHERE standards
• 14,962 people were reached with nutrition education and messages on important infant and young child feeding practices
• 3,250 government health workers were trained on management of acute malnutrition
The ERM is a vital mechanism in Ethiopia to help ensure timely responses, save lives, reduce suffering and help maintain dignity among vulnerable communities affected by crises.
These lifesaving responses have been made possible with the generous support of the European Commission’s Humanitarian Office.
