From an Eight-Hour Queue to a Rinse at her Shelter in Tigray, Ethiopia

At the doorstep of her temporary shelter in the Hitsats displacement camp in Tigray, Ethiopia, 40-year-old Ms. Birey Yohans Werede gently pours water over her young daughter’s hair, letting it collect in a bright red basin. Her daughter sits patiently, eyes closed, as clean water runs through her hair in the warm afternoon sun.

Ms. Birey Yohans Werede, 40, lived in Humera before conflict displaced her to the Hitsats IDP site in Asgede Woreda, Tigray. She lives with a family of six, including three females. When she describes life before support arrived, she speaks plainly and directly about what water scarcity demanded from her. “Before any help here, I faced significant challenges in accessing water”, She says. I fetched water from a river in summer and from unprotected ponds for our shelter.” She tried to make do with whatever alternatives appeared, but nothing stayed consistent. “Sometimes other organisations brought water by truck, but we couldn’t rely on it."

Water collection shaped every hour of her day. Ms. Birey walked long distances, waited in lines that never seemed to move, and returned to my shelter exhausted, then started again the next day. “The distance to the water sources was approximately 40 minutes on foot for one trip. Due to high demand and the mountainous terrain,” she says, and she often spent “up to 8 hours a day” travelling, queuing, and walking back. Even after all that time, she could not meet her family’s needs. “I had only one 25-litre jerrycan for everything, drinking, cooking, washing, and cleaning. I had to choose what to do and what to leave.” The long queues and the distance to the water source forced her to ration water constantly, leaving hygiene and cleaning behind when water ran out.

The pressure at the water points also triggered conflict. People arrived tired and desperate, and they argued when they feared they would return to their shelter empty-handed. Ms. Birey watched older people and people with disabilities struggle most in the pushing and the long waits. She also watched sickness spread through families that had no safe option. “We used to get sick and even our neighbours used to get sick from the water we drink,” she says. When water comes from unprotected sources, children pay quickly, and families carry the burden in lost strength, medical costs, and constant worry.

Scarcity did not only affect drinking and cooking; it also affected how women’s hygiene and privacy. Ms. Birey describes how the lack of water made basic hygiene feel impossible, and how that impossibility followed women into every part of life, including menstruation. “I used to face many challenges because of water scarcity. I could not wash my clothes properly,” she recalls. Washing clothes, bathing children, cleaning utensils, and keeping the shelter safe all depend on water. When that water disappears, the household feels it everywhere. 

Sanitation conditions in the camp added another layer. Latrines existed, but Ms. Birey says, “The latrines were there, but no one cleaned them regularly,” she says. “They smelled bad, and they didn’t feel safe to use.” Ms. Birey explains how that pushed her and her families into unsafe coping mechanisms. “We have resorted to using open fields around our shelter for toilets,” she says. She also describes the daily humiliation women faced when water stayed scarce. “Because we didn’t have enough water, women washed inside the shelter,” she says. “It felt uncomfortable and embarrassing.” Solid waste also built up in open areas around shelters, worsening the environment where families already lived close together.

Still, Ms. Birey did not just sit and wait. “I joined hygiene sessions from different organisations, and I used what I learned whenever I could.” She carried the information to her shelter, even when the lack of water and poor sanitation stopped her from doing everything she knew would help.

With support from the Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund (EHF), Oxfam and community members improved water and sanitation in Hitsats. They repaired the solar water system and extended the pipeline, bringing water to a new distribution point just 20 meters from Ms. Birey’s shelter. “The water point is just 20 meters from my shelter now,” Ms. Birey says. “I don’t waste my whole day walking and waiting anymore”. With water nearby, she can plan meals, clean her shelter, and care for her children without measuring every minute against a long line.

The project gave families jerrycans, buckets, washing basins, torches and soap so they could carry water to their shelter safely, store it cleanly, and keep up daily hygiene.

In addition, the project also repaired communal latrines and bathing facilities in the site, making them safer and easier to use. Oxfam provided latrine cleaning kits and trained volunteers to maintain the facilities. Hygiene promoters held regular sessions on key times to wash hands, how to store water safely, menstrual hygiene, and how to dispose of rubbish safely.

These combined efforts, water, sanitation, and hygiene together, have addressed immediate needs and given families like Ms. Birey’s the tools and knowledge to maintain good health and hygiene practices.

“I received two jerrycans, a washing basin, a water bucket, a solar torch, and soap,” she says. These supplies did more than fill a kit, they made daily life easier and safer. “The extra containers help me collect and store enough water instead of relying on one jerrycan,” she adds. “The soap and the basin help me wash my hands at critical times and keep my children cleaner. The bucket helps me manage household chores more safely and consistently.”

Ms. Birey also stayed engaged in hygiene promotion activities and used what she learned. She joined sessions on how to dispose of rubbish safely, key times to wash hands, and safe water storage. She also took part in community clean-up days, and she brought those practices to their shelter. When the community began cleaning rehabilitated latrines regularly, the difference became immediate. Regular cleaning removed the unpleasant odours and made the facilities usable again. “Now I use the latrine instead of going to the open field,” Ms. Birey says. “That helps keep my family safer and keeps the area around our shelters cleaner.”

Even with this progress, Ms. Birey still needs support to get through each day. She asks for continued support that will help her protect hygiene and meet basic needs in displacement. “I still need more soap, menstrual pads, and some cash to help me stay clean and feed my family,” she says. And behind every practical request sits the hope she returns to without hesitation: “What I really want is to go back to my home.”