FAO: Emergency livelihoods support to reduce acute food insecurity in Yemen

Yemen is suffering the worst humanitarian crisis worldwide as a consequence of over six years of violent conflict that is increasingly threatening the food security and livelihoods of millions of Yemenis.

The essential COVID-19 restriction measures put into effect by the Government to prevent the spread of the virus have further aggravated the food availability and access at the household level.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is working in Yemen to restore agricultural livelihoods, enhance local food availability and mainstream the role of women.

Yemen is suffering the worst humanitarian crisis worldwide as a consequence of over six years of violent conflict that is increasingly threatening the food security and livelihoods of millions of Yemenis.

The essential COVID-19 restriction measures put into effect by the Government to prevent the spread of the virus have further aggravated the food availability and access at the household level.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is working in Yemen to restore agricultural livelihoods, enhance local food availability and mainstream the role of women.

Shala’ah Abdo is raising her eight children alone. She is unemployed and she’s struggling to feed them. 

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Shala’ah Abdo, mother of 8 children: “I am unemployed and there is no one to support us.”

The grocery store refused to give Shala’ah credit, and to buy food, she was forced to borrow money. Not being able to feed her children was devastating.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Shala’ah Abdo, mother of 8 children: “When I go to the grocery store, he  refuses to sell me anything on credit. I go back home sad. I cry. There’s nothing I can do.”

According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), 16.2 million people in Yemen were projected to face high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 and above) through June 2021 with 5 million people expected to face acute food insecurity (IPC4) and 47 000 expected to slide into catastrophic conditions (IPC5). 

The IPC Acute Food Insecurity (IPC AFI) classification measures the level of food insecurity and distinguishes five phases of acute food insecurity. High levels of acute food insecurity start from IPC Phase 3, which is the crisis level, and the highest level, IPC Phase 5, represents Catastrophe/Famine.

SOUNDBITE (English), Hussein Gadain, FAO Representative in Yemen: “Levels of food insecurity in Yemen, remain unprecedentedly high. The last IPC (Integrated Phase Classification) statistics indicate that more than 16 million people are severely food insecure. And the most recent analysis shows no indication of improvement.”

Agriculture has traditionally been a source of income for more than half of the Yemeni population and a main pillar of the country’s economy. 

Since the beginning of the conflict, the agricultural livelihoods of many have been hit hard, with cereal and livestock production levels falling drastically compared to pre-conflict levels.

Other factors contributing to food insecurity include economic crises, the COVID-19 pandemic, desert locusts and climate change.

To improve food consumption and nutrition of the most vulnerable households in Yemen’s Ibb and Al Dhale’e Governorates, FAO selected 2 900 beneficiary households, prioritizing female-headed households and households with nursing mothers, and provided them with 29 000 egg-laying hens, 203 tonnes of poultry feed and 2 900 sets of coop materials. 

Shala’ah Abdo signed up for the project as soon as she heard about it. The chicken she received started to lay eggs. Her daughter who loves eggs was happy.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Shala’ah Abdo, mother of 8 children, Al-Odain, Ibb: “She’s so happy to eat eggs. Sometimes she prefers them boiled and sometimes fried. I told her, you always asked for eggs, and now you have chickens.”

The FAO project improved the nutrition of the vulnerable families providing them with a sustainable livelihood and a daily source of nutritious food, while simultaneously empowering mothers.

The surplus eggs produced have become a source of income for the beneficiary households; they are sold in the local market, improving the food security of the local communities in governorates suffering from high rates of global acute malnutrition.

Thanks to the sale of surplus eggs, Shala’ah Abdo is able to provide for her family.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Shala’ah Abdo: “Since the chicken distribution project was implemented, our life has been improved. We can sell eggs and cover our needs. The money we make from selling the eggs has made a big difference in our lives.”

In response to the crisis, FAO has developed Emergency Livelihoods Response Plans, supported by resource partners, to reduce acute food insecurity and save the lives of the most vulnerable households through improved access to food, economic empowerment, livelihoods restoration, agricultural infrastructure improvement and capacity development. 

SOUNDBITE (English), Hussein Gadain, FAO Representative in Yemen: “FAO is working to protect, build and restore the agricultural livelihoods and create livelihood options to reduce the alarming levels of food insecurity. So, our work mainly combined emergency response to immediate basic food insecurity needs with midterm and long term approaches, aiming to restore livelihoods and strengthen the Yemeni households resilience to these shocks like desert locusts and flash floods. So for example, in 2020 alone FAO provided emergency livelihoods to over 1.3 million people in different types of interventions throughout the country.”

FAO partnered with the Government of Japan to provide poultry production systems to vulnerable households in Yemen. Japan continues to support various emergency agricultural livelihood assistance interventions implemented by FAO in Yemen.

Al-Odain, Ibb governorate, Yemen, August 2020

1. Wide shot of Shala’ah Abdo village

2. Shala’ah Abdo walking in her garden

3. Shala’ah Abdo collecting herbs

4. Pan left of Shala’ah Abdo’s house

5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Shala’ah Abdo, mother of 8 children, Al-Odain, Ibb: “I am unemployed and there is no one to support us.” 

6. Shala’ah Abdo collecting herbs

7. Shala’ah Abdo dressing her child

8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Shala’ah Abdo, mother of 8 children, Al-Odain, Ibb: “When I go to the grocery store, he refuses to sell me anything on credit. I go back home sad. I cry. There’s nothing I can do.” 

9. Tilt up of Shala’ah Abdo’s house

10. Shala’ah Abdo placing a blanket over her sleeping son 

11. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Shala’ah Abdo, mother of 8 children, Al-Odain, Ibb: “Previously, I used to borrow some cash to buy food such as beans, tuna, and other things, which I will pay them when the situation gets better.” 

12. Tracking shot of people lining for poultry distribution

13. Man delivering poultry in cages

Sana'a, Yemen, 12 August 2021

14. SOUNDBITE (English), Hussein Gadain, FAO Representative in Yemen: “Levels of food insecurity in Yemen, remain unprecedentedly high. The last IPC (Integrated Phase Classification) statistics indicate that more than 16 million people are severely food insecure. And the most recent analysis shows no indication of improvement.”

Al-Odain, Ibb governorate, Yemen, August 2020

15. Wide shot of Shala’ah Abdo’s house

16. Various of Shala’ah Abdo and her daughter feeding hens

17. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Shala’ah Abdo, mother of 8 children, Al-Odain, Ibb: “I heard that the organization came to Fares's house, I went there and registered my name, and I was accepted.” 

18. Various of Shala’ah Abdo cooking an egg meal for her children

19. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Shala’ah Abdo, mother of 8 children, Al-Odain, Ibb: “I got the chickens, and the next morning they laid eggs. I collected them in the box.” 

20. Various of Shala’ah Abdo cooking an egg meal for her children

21. Shala’ah Abdo cooking an egg meal for her children

22. Shala’ah Abdo serving a meal to her children

23. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Shala’ah Abdo, mother of 8 children, Al-Odain, Ibb: “This is my daughter who loves eggs the most.”

24. Shala’ah’s children eating

25. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Shala’ah Abdo, mother of 8 children, Al-Odain, Ibb: “She’s so happy to eat eggs. sometimes she prefers them boiled and sometimes fried.”

26. Tilt down of Shala’ah Abdo and her children eating

27. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Shala’ah Abdo, mother of 8 children, Al-Odain, Ibb: “I told her you always ask for eggs and now you got chickens.”

28. Hens in the chicken coop

29. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Shala’ah Abdo, mother of 8 children, Al-Odain, Ibb: “Since the chicken distribution project was implemented, our life has improved. We can sell eggs and cover our needs.”

30. Woman knocking at Shala’ah Abdo’s house

31. Woman giving money to Shala’ah Abdo

32. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Shala’ah Abdo, mother of 8 children, Al-Odain, Ibb: “The money we make from selling the eggs has made a big difference in our lives.” 

33. A woman taking away eggs from Shala’ah Abdo’s house

Sana'a, Yemen, 12 August 2021

34. SOUNDBITE (English), Hussein Gadain, FAO Representative in Yemen: “FAO is working to protect, build and restore the agricultural livelihoods and create livelihood options to reduce the alarming levels of food insecurity. So, our work mainly combined emergency response to immediate basic food insecurity needs with midterm and long term approaches, aiming to restore livelihoods and strengthen the Yemeni households resilience to these shocks like desert locusts and flash floods. So for example, in 2020 alone FAO provided emergency livelihoods to over 1.3 million people in different types of interventions throughout the country.”

Al-Odain, Ibb governorate, Yemen, August 2020

35. Close up of eggs in a box

36. Shala’ah Abdo’s children holding chicken in their hands

37. Shala’ah Abdo daughter kissing a chicken