Project Description

Ethiopia has experienced two years of exceptional drought conditions. Insufficient rainfall during the 2017 rainy season led to severe water shortages, catastrophic livestock losses, and failed crops throughout the country. The Somali region of Ethiopia was one of the worst affected areas during the 2017 drought. Although much of this region benefitted from productive seasonal Gu and deyr rains in 2018, irregularities in rainfall, coupled with extreme flooding; continues to cripple agro pastoralists and pastoralists who are unable to maintain a basic livelihoods protection threshold. In addition to drought, the Somali region faces other challenges that contribute to sustained humanitarian needs such as: above-average food prices, disease outbreaks, youth unemployment, localized inter-communal conflict, and limited access to basic social services; thereby creating an ongoing complex emergency.

 In view of the current situation and the ongoing humanitarian emergency UNDP, FAO and UNICEF are partnering to jointly implement a project which incorporates both emergency and resilience building interventions that bridge the short-term response to long-term development. The project primarily targets pastoral and agro-pastoral households within the most severely drought-affected areas of the Warder and Kebredahar woredas (districts) that are located in Dollo and Korahe Zones, respectively.