heks

Eritrea is characterised by political instability and repeated armed conflicts with its neighbouring countries of Ethiopia, Yemen and Djibouti. At the same time, the biggest challenges in terms of development are its lack of infrastructure and basic supplies for the largely rural population.  Eritreans suffer from malnutrition, poor health care and a lack of access to drinking water and to education. In recent years Eritrea has achieved the unfortunate record of being the country from which the most applications have been made for asylum in Switzerland. Official statistics on poverty place Eritrea in the bottom third: the country on the Red Sea was ranked 165 out of 182 in the UNO “Human Development Index”.

Aims, points of focus, initiatives:

An overriding aim of the programme is for HEKS to help ensure the survival of selected rural communities. The people, households and communities concerned are in a position to build up their natural, material, financial and social resources themselves and to be thus better prepared for possible conflicts, droughts, floods or famines. The intention is to enable the beneficiaries to lead a life of human dignity, self-sufficiency and social integration. In order to achieve these aims, the HEKS country programme is based on four main pillars.

1. Protecting the food supply and survival of selected communities, with the focus being on water supplies.
2. Strengthening of civilian society.
3. Reconstruction of communities affected by war.
4. Communities and partner organisations are prepared for humanitarian emergencies.