Japan funds FAO project to safeguard the agricultural livelihoods of displaced persons, refugees, and host communities in Ethiopia
The USD$ 2.5 million project will mitigate the effects of desert locusts and COVID-19 restrictions in the Oromia and Somali regions
Addis Ababa – With USD$ 2.5 million funding from the Government of Japan, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is contributing to safeguarding the livelihoods of internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees, and host communities in Oromia and Somali regions of Ethiopia.
“The project interventions will enable the targeted households to cope with the impacts of the desert locust damage on crops and livestock, as well as the current economic hardships resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic”, said Fatouma Seid, the FAO Representative in Ethiopia.
The one-year (March 2021 – March 2022) “Support vulnerable communities in Oromia and Somali regions to mitigate the negative impacts of COVID-19 and desert locusts” project is targeting 24 000 households.
Interventions to enhance crop and livestock production
Beneficiary households will receive agricultural inputs, including seeds (maize, haricot bean, mung bean, and vegetable), fertilizers, hand tools, and irrigation equipment. The project will also support the repair and maintenance of selected irrigation schemes in the targeted regions.
To improve livestock production, the project will provide targeted households with supplementary feed and forage seed, and facilitate vaccination, monitoring, and surveillance of livestock diseases. It will also supply solar-powered vaccine fridges and freezers to the targeted regions and facilitate training of beneficiaries, extension staff, and Community Animal Health Workers in animal husbandry practices.
Furthermore, the project will support 500 women in 20 groups to upgrade and resuscitate their milk-trading businesses by rehabilitating milk-trading shades and providing them with milk storage containers, solar freezers, and cash. The women groups will also be trained in milk handling, safety and hygiene, and business management.
Formative research will identify gaps in nutrition-sensitive agriculture knowledge, attitude, and practices in the targeted communities. The research findings will inform efforts to enhance the consumption of healthy food.
Multiple disasters exacerbate food insecurity
Ethiopia is the third-largest refugee-hosting country in Africa, sheltering over 800 000 registered refugees and asylum-seekers (UNHCR, 2021). According to the International Organization for Migration’s National Displacement Report 5 (IOM, 2020), the primary cause of displacement in Ethiopia is conflict, which resulted in 1 200 000 IDPs across the country in 2020. The second highest cause was drought, which displaced over 350 000 IDPs, followed by seasonal floods (displacing over 100 000 IDPs) and flash floods (50 000).
Since June 2019, the country has been responding to the worst desert locust invasion in 25 years. The invasion has caused significant damage to crops, pastures, and rangelands.
The COVID-19 restrictive measures also resulted in a significant slowdown of agricultural support services, particularly animal treatment, and vaccination, and access to production inputs, among others.
Further, the targeted regions experience political and ethnic tension, intercommunal violence, population displacements, macroeconomic challenges, and high food prices that have negatively affected the food security situation.
Implementing partnerships
FAO is implementing the project in collaboration with Oromia and Somali regional governments, United Nations agencies (World Food Programme and UN High Commissioner for Refugees) the private sector (input suppliers and dealers and retail outlets), and extension agents. Non-Governmental Organizations will be responsible for the direct implementation of field activities including beneficiary mobilization and registration, distribution of inputs, and coordination of training and extension.
Contact
Rachel Nandelenga
Communications Consultant
FAO Ethiopia
@FAOEthiopia
Tamiru Legesse
National Communication Officer
FAO Ethiopia
@FAOEthiopia