By Mohamed Abdi - Reporter
Ethiopia, 7 January 2026 — Authorities in Ethiopia’s Somali Regional State have officially inaugurated a 208 million Birr ($1.33 million) water supply project in the Yoxob District of the Erar Zone, aimed at providing clean water to over 13,000 residents and their livestock.
The project, which includes a 19-kilometer pipeline, was funded through the Lowlands Livelihood Resilience Project (LLRP), a multi-phase initiative supported by the World Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to enhance climate resilience in pastoralist communities.
Ibrahim Osman Farah, Vice President of the Somali Regional State, led the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday. He noted that the new infrastructure would provide long-term relief to a district historically plagued by acute water shortages.
"Water scarcity exists in many places," Farah said during the event. "I hope our community will benefit closely from this new water source."
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The Somali region remains one of the most water-stressed areas in the Horn of Africa.
According to regional officials, only about 42 per cent of households in the state have access to clean water, significantly lower than the Ethiopian national average of 65 per cent.
Ahmed Mirad Layli, the Regional Minister for Water, and Mukhtar Abdi, Manager of the LLRP, emphasized that the project is a critical component of the region’s drought-response strategy. They urged the local community to take full advantage of the new facilities to improve health and economic outcomes.
The Yoxob project is part of a broader push by regional authorities to install solar-powered boreholes and extensive piping systems across marginalized lowland areas.
Officials expect the infrastructure to significantly reduce the distance travelled by women and children to fetch water and to support the large livestock populations central to the local economy.
