Ethiopia is faced with an alarming rate of soil erosion. Every year an estimated 1.5 - 2 billion tonnes of top soil is washed away, which seriously undermines efforts to promote food security. Without efforts to halt and reverse the process of land degradation and develop basic infrastructure, food deficits will increase. Other factors which limit agricultural production include an inadequate road network which hampers the supply of farm inputs and marketing of agricultural produce, a severe shortage of village water supplies resulting in much time and effort, particularly for women, to secure daily water requirements, limited use of irrigation, negligible off-farm employment opportunities, weak extension services and erratic rainfall. |
| | WFP support for land rehabilitation, now in its third phase, began in the mid 1970s and uses food aid as an incentive in support of soil conservation, rural infrastructure construction, and afforestation activities in areas affected by chronic food insecurity. In accordance with government guidelines, the project is decentralizing management and has reorganised itself locally. This enables communities to identify their priorities, plan activities, and provides a benchmark against which to measure progress. The programme is expected to protect and develop 135,000 hectares of land through various soil and water conservation measures and construct basic infrastructure in 450 rural communities. |
| | An average of 131,700 people directly benefited from the WFP food rations provided to the project in 1998. Of those, 32% were women.
Thanks to WFP food and non-food support to this project, communities were able in 1998 to reduce the effects of erosion and better protect their soil by adding 19,737 km of stone bunds, 8,303 km of soil bunds, 814 km of check dams, 6,160 hectares of area closure, 7,920 km of hillside terracing, 303 million seedlings, 24 ponds, 181 springs and 268 km of roads.
WFP Ethiopia requested supplementary resources and supplied a total of 40,198 tonnes of wheat to the project in 1998, exceeding the original target delivery of 30,000 tonnes. Sufficient food was pre-positioned in all regions during the latter half of 1998, enabling activities planned for 1999 to be at the maximum level possible.
In collaboration with the VAM Unit, the Country Office conducted a pilot assessment on the impact of food for work in Chencha woreda of North Omo Zone of the Southern Region in July-September 1998.
WFP Ethiopia's efforts to obtain material and equipment met with a highly positive Donor response in 1998, particularly from the Governments of Norway and Japan. During the year, WFP handed over to the Ministry of Agriculture 68 motorcycles and 6 pick-ups worth over US $250,000 as well as 6 Rubb Hall tents worth US $83,000 and agricultural tools worth some US $500,000. In addition, Donor commitments were made to provide an additional 30 motorcycles, 4 pick-ups, as well as authorisation for the local purchase of US $269,673 worth of agricultural tools, and another US $300,000 worth of imported agricultural tools for poor farmers.
All concerned regions have received food on time from WFP. Efforts were made to encourage regions to use the private sector instead of relying only on project donated trucks (Amhara, SNNPRS and Tigray all attempted to cover their own transport requirements using private transport whereas in previous years only the project fleet was used).
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Almost 80% of Addis Ababa's 2.4 million population are slum dwellers or squatters. Recent NGO surveys in slum neighborhoods suggest that 60-75% of the households are headed by single mothers with multiple children. WFP's food assistance is channeled through NGOs in the poorest kebeles, or neighborhoods, in Addis Ababa. The project aims to reach malnourished children under five, pregnant and nursing women and other men and women belonging to the most vulnerable segments of society. This goal is achieved through food interventions in support of mother and child health care activities, income generating activity schemes, skills training and food-for-work activities. The women visiting health centers also receive services such as nutrition, health and family planning education, primary health care and social development. Infrastructure works improve hygienic and sanitary conditions in the kebeles, contribute to a healthier living environment and provide on-the-job-training in construction skills.