SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia, with support from SOS Villages d’Enfants Monde Luxembourg and the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has officially launched the From Crisis to Resilience: Nutrition-Centric Humanitarian–Development–Peace (HDP) Nexus Programming in Moyale Woreda, Borena Zone project. The three-year initiative, running from 2025 to 2028, aims to address the interconnected challenges of food insecurity, malnutrition, livelihood vulnerability, and conflict, helping communities transition from crisis toward long-term stability and resilience.
The project is expected to directly benefit approximately 54,929 people and indirectly reach an additional 72,964 individuals, prioritizing highly vulnerable groups including children under five, households affected by acute malnutrition, survivors of gender-based violence, persons with disabilities, internally displaced persons, youth, and female-headed households.
The nutrition centric HDP Nexus project builds on Ethiopia’s broader nutrition agenda, aligned with the Seqota Declaration, a high-level commitment launched in 2015 to end stunting among children under two by 2030. It integrates humanitarian assistance, development programming, and peacebuilding interventions within a unified framework. The peacebuilding component will be led by SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia’s local implementing partner, the Gayo Pastoral Development Initiative (GPDI). This coordinated approach ensures immediate relief while strengthening long-term recovery, social cohesion, and community resilience.
The launch event, held at the Haile Grand Hotel in Addis Ababa, brought together government representatives, development partners, sector experts, staff members, and other key stakeholders to mark the beginning of this significant initiative.
In his opening address, Mr. Sahlemariam Abebe, Multi-Country Director for SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia and South Sudan, emphasized the significance of the initiative. He described the project as “a unique model to SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia that brings together humanitarian relief, development, and peacebuilding, using nutrition as an entry point while addressing all three pillars in a practical and coordinated way.”
Mr. Sahlemariam highlighted the complex crises affecting Moyale Woreda, including drought, displacement, conflict, and high rates of malnutrition, and praised the resilience and strength of local communities. He called on government offices, sector bureaus, and development partners to actively support the implementation of the project and to work collectively toward sustainable solutions.
Delivering a keynote speech, Dr. Sisay Sinamo, Senior Program Manager at the Seqota Declaration Federal Program Delivery Unit under the Ministry of Health, underlined the alignment between the new project and Ethiopia’s national nutrition strategy.
Dr. Sisay commended SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia for its proactive implementation of the nutrition centric HDP Nexus approach, adding that the project could serve as a model for other regions and even for international learning.
He affirmed the Ministry of Health’s commitment to closely collaborate, utilize emerging evidence for policy refinement, and support the scaling of successful practices. Dr. Sisay concluded with a call to action for the Oromia Regional Government, development partners, and stakeholders, to adopt a new, integrated way of working to ensure the project’s success.
A comprehensive project overview was then presented by Dr. Asmelash Rezene, Consultant to SOS Villages d’Enfants Monde Luxembourg. He outlined the project’s theory of change, target beneficiaries, expected outcomes, and the monitoring framework.
The presentation was followed by an engaging panel discussion moderated by Mr. Lijalem Baileyegn, Fund Development and Communications Director at SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia. The panel featured Mr. Ebisa Jaleta, Deputy National Director for SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia; Mr. Tariku Mekuria, National Portfolio Manager for Humanitarian Response Programmes; and Dr. Asmelash Rezene. The dialogue addressed audience questions and further clarified key aspects of the project.
In the closing session, Dr. Haji Aman, Nutrition Advisor at the Oromia Regional President’s Office, commended SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia for aligning the project with the innovative principles of the Seqota Declaration. He reaffirmed regional commitment to supporting implementation and ensuring the project’s success on the ground.
The launch of the nutrition centric HDP Nexus project, marks a significant milestone in Ethiopia’s ongoing efforts to end stunting and malnutrition by 2030. By addressing root causes of vulnerability and promoting integrated, cross-sectoral solutions, the initiative aims to help families recover from crises, strengthen their livelihoods, and build lasting resilience for future generations.