With the emergency support from the French Alimentary Aid Program, FAO in close collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) on “Restoring Food and Nutrition Security of Flood Affected Vulnerable Population in Attapeu Province, Lao PDR” provided support to the affected families in Sanamxay district of Attapeu province.

The project targets to improve immediate access to nutritious food of beneficiary households through cash transfers as well as improving availability of fresh food through the promotion of nutrition sensitive agriculture (NSA) gardening. It aims to provide food and nutrition security, and diversification of food sources for the flood affected households.

During the period from 3 to 5 July 2019, a field visit to Sanamxay district, Attapeu province is organized to follow up on the implementation of the above-mentioned project activities. This is the first joint monitoring visit by FAO, officials from the French Embassy and Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. During the two day visit, the joint team led by Mr. Chanthalath Pongmala, Assistant FAO Representative (Programme) and Ms. Benedicte Deschamps, Head of Development Cooperation, French Embassy in Laos and representatives from MAF (both at national and provincial level) visited field activities including creation of family garden plot, field embankment at Sompai village, observed the nutrition and agriculture production training at Hadyao village as well as distributed vegetable seeds to the affected households.

This project contributes to the effort of the Laos Government of Lao PDR to recover and rehabilitate the serious damages and losses in country resulted from the floods incurred in August 2018.