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Remember to Sign Up for the Next Global Partners' Meeting on 13-14 May

gFSC Partners Meeting

The next semi-annual Meeting of global Food Security Partners will be organized on 13-14 May 2015 at FAO in Rome, Italy. The purpose of the meeting is to strengthen the linkages between Global Partners by jointly reviewing common issues faced in food security coordination.

Please remember to sign up by 22 April by sending a message to Evan Sheldon. Kindly note that participation is extended to two participants per organization.

Tuesday 12 May will be dedicated to face-to-face meetings of the gFSC Working Groups on Food Security and Livelihoods in Urban Settings, Programme Quality and the recently established Working Group on Technology and Innovation, focusing on updates, work plan reviews and adjustments as necessary.

More information can be found at FSC website.

Checklist on Good Coordination & Programming between Food Security and Nutrition Clusters

Photo: WFP/Donaig Le Du

The Global Food Security and Nutrition Clusters have developed a Checklist on Good Coordination and Programming between Food Security and Nutrition Clusters.

The purpose of this checklist is to provide Cluster Coordinators with some tips on how to promote better joint food security and nutrition programming at country level. The guiding questions will assist  during the different phases of the Humanitarian Programme Cycle and will encourage planning joint responses taking into account the four pillars of food security (availability, accessibility, utilization and stability) and the nutrition causal framework.

Please find the checklist at FSC website.

L-3: Central African Republic

Agricultural Campaign

Farmers in the Central African Republic are in urgent need of seeds and tools for the upcoming planting season to prevent further deterioration of the livelihoods of vulnerable populations in the conflict-stricken country.

Planning of the agricultural campaign is still ongoing between FAO, WFP and their implementing partners. FAO secured additional funding to assist 2,800 extra households, thus reaching a current total of 89,200 households for the upcoming main planting season in April/May. However, there is still a gap of US$3.5 million to reach the total FAO target of 150,000 households.

Find the latest FSC Agricultural Campaign Bulletin on the FSC website.

L-3: Iraq

  • NGO partners continue to report food supply as a priority need in Anbar Governorate. In southern Iraq, food supplies are particularly needed in parts of Qadissiya, Najaf and Missan governorates.
  • A rapid food security assessment by FAO, WFP and Islamic Relief highlighted that conflict in Anbar has dramatically affected agricultural livelihoods, particularly decreasing vegetable, wheat and barley production. 96 per cent of farmers surveyed indicated that the cost of agricultural inputs had increased. 80 per cent of farmers identified an increased need for agricultural inputs such as seeds and fertilizers, pesticides. 90 per cent of respondents called for assistance in restocking of livestock. Negative coping strategies are also extensive. More than three quarters of farming households have reportedly sold some of their livestock, primarily due to lack of income and lack of animal feed.
  • Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) partners are providing emergency food assistance to people fleeing military operations in the Tikrit area, Salah al-Din Governorate. Over 48,700 IDPs have been assisted with Immediate Response Rations (IRRs) sufficient for three days. Additionally, 400 families that escaped Mosul, Ninewa Governorate, have been provided with emergency food assistance through the RRM.
  • Approximately 17,500 people returning to Muqdadiya District, Diyala Governorate, have received food assistance.
  • Intense conflict and blocked supply routes are causing food scarcity and price hikes in Salah al-Din, Ninewa, Kirkuk and Anbar governorates, as identified by WFP remote monitoring. This is likely to negatively affect food security for the whole population.
  • An interagency convoy mobilized in late March reached the Al Baghdadi district of Anbar governorate on 01 April. WFP distributed 1,300 IRRs in Al Baghdadi, sufficient to assist 6,500 people in urgent need of food assistance after months without adequate supplies.
  • Taking advantage of an access route to the partially besieged city of Haditha, WFP and ISHO distributed IRRs to 8,500 displaced people living in the city on 3 and 4 April. ISHO reports that limited supply is causing food scarcity, driving up food prices and impacting the poorest worst of all. WFP is now assessing options for delivering FFPs to the affected population.     

 

L-3: South Sudan

  • In March, South Sudan Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL) Cluster reached about 966,592 people with food assistance interventions. These included 484,223 people in hard to reach areas and 482,369 people in conflict areas. This represents about 70% achievement against plans for the month.
  • FSL Cluster partners successfully completed registration and food distribution in Kuach, Unity State.
  • Airdrops were successfully accomplished in Nyal, Ganyiel and Dablual  in Unity.
  • FSL Cluster facilitated and led a no-cost extension process for CHF project implemented by one of the partner INGOs.
  • FSL Cluster organized and supported a Community Based Animal Health Workers training in Nimule, Eastern Equatoria State.
  • FSL Cluster and partners deployed teams around the country to conduct the 15th Food Security and Nutrition Monitoring System (FSNMS)
  • FSL Cluster supported a training event for field monitors on Monitoring & Evaluation. This is aimed at strengthening Accountability to Affected People (AAP).
  • FAO has commenced the delivery of livelihood kits and agricultural inputs from Juba warehouse to field distribution hubs and to partners.
  • FSL Cluster Area Coordinators are led FSNMS activities in deep field locations, training partners and supervising data collection.
  • More information can be found in the FSL Cluster Bulletin for March 2015.

 

Cross-Cutting Issues and Programme Quality

  • The gFSC Programme Quality Working Group and FAO co-hosted a webinar on the Checklist for Integrating Energy in the Humanitarian Programme Cycle on 8 April.  The webinar explained how and why the checklist was developed and how it can be used in the field to support the HPC.  The webinar was attended by FAO and Cluster Coordinators who had a chance to ask questions and give feedback on the presentation, which can be found at FSC website. The same webinar will be organized again in May, FSC will send the invitation to all partners.
  • FAO Quarterly Early Warning Bulletin for Food and Agriculture, covering the period April-June 2015,  integrates information on threats to the food chain and to food security grouped by region and by country.
  • The mVAM project has taken on a new challenge: that of working in Iraq, where 5.2 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance, and where 2.5 million have been displaced due to violent conflict.
  • The European Commission has launched the Resilience Compendium, which was an outcome of the High Level Resilience Forum that was held in Brussels on 28 April 2014.
  • Call on Proposal for Securing Water for Food:
    the grand Challenge for Development, Securing Water for Food, announces the third call for innovations. The competition seeks innovations to improve water and food security. Sweden through Sida, the Swedish International Development cooperation Agency, USAID and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands welcomes your applications.
  • A recent issue of the Soul Beat that focuses on the role of Media and Communication for Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency responses.
  • FAO Facility for Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience in Agriculture is a platform to help countries access technical and financial resources to fully integrate risk reduction principles and practices in agriculture.
  • Nearly a quarter of damages wrought by natural disasters on the developing world are borne by the agricultural sector according to initial results from a new FAO study  released at the UN World Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction.
  • Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 is available at the WCDRR website.
  • Recovering from the Ebola Crisis is a contribution to ongoing efforts by the Governments of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone to design their national Ebola virus disease recovery strategies. It has been prepared by a joint team of experts led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and comprising UN agencies and the World Bank, European Union and African Development Bank, in consultation with the African Union, Economic Community of West African States and Mano River Union.
  • Useful guidance for fisheries and acquaculture in emergencies from FAO:  Fisheries and aquaculture emergency response guidance and Guidelines for the Fisheries and aquaculture sector on damage and needs assessment in emergencies.

 

Vacancy Announcements

HelpAge International is looking for a Humanitarian Programme Coordinator - Cash and Livelihoods. Please apply by 19 April 2015.

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