Emergency goat distribution targets women and most vulnerable in northeastern Nigeria
Around 900 vulnerable women, including from women headed households, are being assisted through an FAO initiative to improve household nutrition and rebuild livelihoods in vulnerable communities.
FAO distributed 3600 goats as part of efforts to restore livelihoods and combat critical levels of food insecurity and malnutrition in areas of the state of Borno in the northeast, which has been affected by Boko Haram violence. The conflict has provoked the displacement of up to 2.4 million people, many of whom lost livestock and other assets, thus impairing their livelihood. The goat distributions have targeted the internally displaced population, returnees and host communities.
“Animal restocking is crucial for the benefit of women for whom goats play a major role for the household nutrition security through the provision of milk and a source of revenue to address other household challenges”, says Patrick David, interim Country Representative, FAO, Nigeria.
After receiving four goats, 35-year-old Bintu Usman, a host community member said, “We don’t have food sometimes, my husband is paralyzed for last 5 years due to injuries sustained during the conflict," she added. "As an only earning member, I will keep these goats to reproduce so we can sell some of them and buy grains”.
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