ERCS Carries Out Commendable Integrated Health And Wat-San Activities

The Ethiopian Red Cross Society with the assistance of movement partners has conducted various wat-san and integrated health programs and projects successfully. According to Ato Gashaw Dagne, Health and Care department head, many of the watsan projects were implemented in oromiya region where the need is obviously high due to the population. However, ERCS has also intervened to mitigate the water and sanitation problems in some selected areas of Amhara, Benishangul and SNNP Regions The ERCS Wat-san project coordinator, Ato Gemechissa Abdoye explained that except the on-going Integrated Rural Development (BIRD) Project in Benishangul Gumuz, the remaining projects have already been completed and handed over to the community. The BIRD project in Asosa and Mao Komo will benefit 4, 8050 people/ 9044 HH in 34 kebeles. This project is funded by EU,ADA,SIDA,AuRC, and SwRC with 2.3 Million EURO. It is a five year project which started in October 2011 and will continue until October 2016. So far 20% of the task has been completed. The ERCS watsan program with the assistance of partners like Austrian RC, German RC, Swiss RC, Finnish RC and IFRC has been able to deliver wat-san services to the communities in need. Since January 2006 to July 2012 alone, the program could benefit 198,665 people in the nation.