Oxfam GB

Author and photo credit: Liban Hailu

In Ethiopia's Gambela region, amidst various refugee camps that shelter about 380,000 refugees, lies Pinyudo camp—a home for those who fled conflict in South Sudan. Here in Pinyudo , we meet Adugk Owitti, a refugee struggling to provide hope for her family amidst many challenges.

In 2012, Adugk, 35, fled the conflict in South Sudan with her four children. As a person living with disability, a legacy of a childhood fire accident, Adugk took a long and risky journey, enduring five days of walking with her children to reach Pinyudo camp, in Gambella, Western Ethiopia.

Despite reaching the safety of Gambella, Adugk struggled to get food for her children.

"Food was really hard to find,” Adugk explained. “My children suffered a lot with no food, and they faced a lot of difficulty. During that time, I had to work so I can help my family by gathering and selling firewood and making local alcohol to earn money,” she added. Adugk relied on her resourcefulness, recalling her past livelihood of selling firewood to get water and sustain her family's needs, she said: "Before, I used to sell firewood to buy jerrycans for water. Now, Oxfam has provided us with jerrycans and soap, easing the burden of daily survival." Many refugees have lacked such basic essentials for years.

For survival amidst the many challenges they face, some refugees vandalize latrines and sell the corrugated metal sheets used for the construction of the latrines to meet their other critical needs, such as access to food following the reduced food rations in the camps. To curb this practice, Oxfam – with funding from the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund – is working with refugees to use a different approach to build the latrines that ensures no theft of materials.

“Now, with the help from Oxfam, I have built my own latrine. They provided cement and slabs, which enabled me to construct it. This has not been vandalized", said Adugk. The absence of proper sanitation facilities was a big challenge for Adugk and many refugees in Gambella. "We used to go outside to use the toilet”, she explained, adding: “When we go out into the bushes at night, we worry that something bad will happen, especially to my children. It's risky to go out for the toilet at night”. Adugk is grateful that now with self-built latrine close to her own home, there is dignity, and she does not have to worry about the safety of her family, as well as sanitation issues.

Pinyudo refugee camp is home to more than 51,000 people. Oxfam in Ethiopia is providing essential items such as jerrycans, soaps, and dignity kits to more than 5,500 refugees across Pinyudo, with distribution continuing. Additionally, initiatives such as latrine construction and water treatment have been implemented, ensuring access to safe and hygienic facilities for all.

Despite the strides made in enhancing living conditions, Adugk acknowledges the persistent challenges she faces as a person with a disability. "I face discrimination because of my disability," she laments, highlighting the ongoing barriers to full inclusion and participation within the community. Nevertheless, Adugk remains undeterred, steadfast in her resolve to fulfill her responsibilities as a mother and provider for her children.

As Adugk reflects on her journey and the uncertainties that lie ahead, her aspirations remain simple yet profound. "The only change I need is for my children to get a better education," she says. With education as her beacon of hope, Adugk envisions a path towards peace and stability, both for herself and her community.

This initiative is part of a greater support provided by Oxfam as a result of a £125,000 funding boost from the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund.

The funding, announced at the beginning of March 2024, has enabled Oxfam to begin upgrading and repairing the existing water supply systems and support community-led sanitation initiatives. This includes building 100 new latrines and distributing vital supplies, such as 300 menstrual hygiene kits and 500 ‘WASH’ kits which are made up of two jerrycans and five bars of soap each.

As of May 2022, 28 million people across East Africa - especially Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia and South Sudan are facing critical hunger, this figure is set to rise. For the fourth consecutive season, due to climate change, the rains have failed again. This terrible drought, coupled with the impact on supply chains from the war in Ukraine, means that food supplies have never been so decimated. It is estimated that at present one person is dying every 48 seconds from hunger in the region.

Partner organisations and communities are leading the response across East Africa. By donating today you’re helping to make work like this possible:

WASDA is offering people in Wajir County, Kenya, money digitally transferred to their mobile phones, so they can buy what they need.

Somali Resilience Programme is offering training to help farmers adapt to a changing climate.

ORDA Ethiopia is working in areas where people are displaced to provide clean water, showers, toilets, hygiene kits and money for essentials.

Many of our partners are small grassroots organisations. Please donate now to help them support people facing extreme hunger in their local communities.

For more information on our work in the region, please visit https://www.oxfam.org.uk/oxfam-in-action/current-emergencies/east-africa-food-crisis-appeal/

Oxfam, together with local partner organisations, need your support to reach people affected by the earthquakes in Türkiye (Turkey) and Syria. This is an urgent appeal for assistance.

WHY YOUR HELP IS NEEDED

In the early hours of 6 February, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Türkiye (Turkey) and Syria, followed by another earthquake soon afterwards. Many thousands of people have been killed. Survivors who have been forced to flee their homes are now facing freezing temperatures. Infrastructure is heavily damaged, and we know that means people will struggle to find safe shelter, water and food.

Oxfam has launched an appeal to support people affected by this disaster. Our teams in Türkiye (Turkey) and Syria are working with partner organisations to assess the types of immediate and longer-term support that are needed to help people in the aftermath of Monday’s devastating earthquakes. The emergency response is expected to include water and sanitation, shelter and food support as well as longer-term rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Any donation, big or small, matters right now.

Credit and Image caption - Civil defence workers and residents search through the rubble of collapsed buildings in the town of Harem near the Turkish border, Idlib province, Syria. Copyright © 2023 Shutterstock.