West Africa

KEY FACTS

• Countries covered by the appeal: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo

• Total population: 250 million

• Chronic malnutrition in children under five, total: 13 million

(Source: UN; World Bank; CIA Factbook)

FAO IN WEST AFRICA

In 2005, FAO supported 500 000 farming households in Niger suffering from the food crisis by distributing much-needed seeds, tools and animal fodder.

Background

In West Africa, an estimated 4 million children under five years of age (10 percent of the children in this age group) suffer from acute malnutrition and 13 million (33 percent of children in this age group) suffer from chronic malnutrition. Moreover, 55 percent of child deaths in West Africa are attributable to malnutrition, meaning that these deaths would not happen if children were not malnourished. In Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali and Mauritania alone some 3.7 million people require food aid. Furthermore, 1.3 million people are displaced by conflicts in West Africa. In a region with a population of some 250 million, these numbers bear witness to the high levels of human insecurity which are at the root of the increasing instability seen in the region over the past years.

In spite a general shift towards peace in the region, the overall human security environment continues to be precarious. Specific hazards threatening West Africa include a food security crisis in Sahelian countries and continued socio-political instability in Côte d’Ivoire, Togo and Guinea Bissau. The region is also experiencing a cholera epidemic and is prone to severe flooding. Even if overall 2005 harvest prospects remain favourable, millions will still require food aid and assistance to resume agricultural production.

Conflicts and natural hazards in West Africa are traversing national borders and require a regional response. Humanitarian organizations in West Africa will in 2006 have to become better at assessing and monitoring vulnerability and needs to ensure that response is less media driven and more targeted and just. It has also become increasingly clear that early warning cannot avert a crisis, unless it is followed by early action. A strategic priority decided upon within the framework of the CAP process for West Africa is therefore that regional coordination, information and advocacy is better used to reduce vulnerability.

Needs analysis: Food security and agriculture sectors

Food insecurity is a major problem in West Africa. In some countries, notably Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Cote d’Ivoire, chronic food insecurity has been caused by long periods of very acute socio-political crisis. In the Sahelian countries of Mali, Mauritania and Niger, whilst social stability has been better, a conjunction of locust infestations and drought in 2004 plunged many people in the pastoral and agro-pastoral areas into serious food shortages and malnutrition. The regional emergency coordination unit established by FAO in Dakar, Senegal from September 2004 to June 2005 was instrumental in bringing timely assistance to affected Sahelian farmers who were able to re-launch their rural activities.

Continued co-ordination of rural interventions is necessary to ensure well-targeted, focused and non-duplicated activities. FAO, as the UN specialized agency for food and agriculture, is mandated to play the central coordination function for the sector and has already set up Agricultural Emergency Coordination Units in Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire, Mauritania and Niger. In order to consolidate a coherent assessment framework to guide the donor community, local NGOs and government towards sustainable agricultural sector rehabilitation, these national coordination units need to be reinforced by a Regional Coordination Unit. The Unit would also serve to improve the coherence of emergency interventions and monitor the situation in the region.

Within the context of the regional appeal, Niger deserves special attention. The country suffers from acute food insecurity due to structural causes that have been compounded by drought and locust infestation in 2004/2005. Some of the structural causes include population growth, non-sustainable farming and livestock-raising in an unpredictable environment. These are further compounded by trends like sub-regional speculation of cereal prices which have driven up food prices. In addition, conflicts in the sub-region are hindering the migration of labour that has always been the main coping mechanism during the lean season.

As there is no CAP for Niger in 2006, FAO is requesting assistance for vulnerable populations suffering from the food crisis in Niger under the regional West Africa appeal. Proposed assistance includes support to agricultural production through the distribution of essential inputs, as well as support to vulnerable livestock breeders through distribution of feed in fodder crop deficit areas, support to animal health, and the rehabilitation of small ruminant breeding.

PROPOSALS

FAO RELIEF AND REHABILITATION ASSISTANCE
Funding required: US$ 3 833 350

Issues addressed: Continued co-ordination of interventions in the region is necessary to ensure well-targeted and non-duplicated activities. FAO plays the central coordination function for the sector and already has Agricultural Emergency Rehabilitation and Coordination Units in Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritania and Niger. In order to consolidate a coherent assessment framework to guide the Donor Community, local NGOs and governments towards sustainable agricultural sector rehabilitation, these national Coordination Units need to be reinforced by a regional Coordination Unit which will also monitor the situation in the other countries in the region.

Objectives: Improve coherence of emergency interventions and promote better coordinated strategies.

Activities: Standardize FAO country/regional assessments, through information sharing, training and workshops; disseminate agricultural and rural livelihood information to stakeholders in the region, including mapping of ongoing interventions; provide technical assistance to humanitarian actors (e.g. project design, quality control of inputs, using information databases and linking with the different FAO Technical Departments); establish a rapid response fund for essential inputs procurement at the onset of a new emergency; and strengthen existing emergency food security assessment systems, particularly in terms of impact monitoring.

Beneficiaries: Vulnerable rural households (affected by locust infestations and drought, IDPs, returnees, refugees, host communities), governments, donors, UN partners and NGOs.

Implementing partners: Ministries of Agriculture and Livestock, UN agencies, local and international NGOs.

Duration: January 2006 - December 2006.

Funds requested: US$ 628 350.

Issues addressed: The drought and locust invasion which affected Niger in 2004 induced a 36 percent fodder crop deficit. A food crisis is affecting pastoral areas with approximately one million livestock breeding households. In addition, the weakness of the animals makes them extremely vulnerable to various endemic diseases.

Objectives: Improve the food security of vulnerable livestock breeders through livestock safeguarding in fodder crop deficit areas, the protection of livestock against animal diseases and health risks and the rehabilitation of small ruminant breeding.

Activities: Provision of 500 tonnes of cotton grain and 300 tonnes of wheat bran to 20 000 cattle and 100 000 small ruminants belonging to 30 000 livestock breeders. Immunization of 500 000 cattle heads, 1 500 000 small ruminants and 100 000 dromedaries. Provision of veterinary drugs to 100 000 cattle, 250 000 small ruminants and 15 000 dromedaries weakened by parasites. Training of 500 000 farmers on animal diseases and health. Livestock rehabilitation in 11 000 vulnerable households, starting with shoats.

Beneficiaries: Vulnerable livestock breeders.

Implementing partners: Ministry of Animal Resources.

Duration: January 2006 - December 2006.

Funds requested: US$2 120 000.

Issues addressed: The drought and locust invasion which affected the 2004/5 crop season created a food crisis, worsened by the state of growing poverty and low purchasing power of agricultural populations.

Objectives: Reinforce the production capacities of the beneficiaries. Relieve food insecurity. Support the coordination of the emergency activities and agricultural rehabilitation.

Activities: Provision of vegetable seeds during the counter-hot season (Jan - Mar 2006). Provision of improved black-eyed pea and millet seeds during 2006 wintering. Training of producers on agricultural techniques to increase production and maintenance of soil fertility through Farmer Field Schools. Support to the coordination of emergency and rehabilitation agricultural activities, leadership of the Sectoral Agricultural/Livestock Group.

Beneficiaries: 60 000 households situated in vulnerable areas or 400 000 individuals (52 percent are women, 62 percent are children).

Implementing partners: Ministry of Agricultural Development, CCA, SAP, national and international NGOs, producer organizations.

Duration: January 2006 - December 2006.

Funds requested: US$ 1 135 000.