Emergency food security and livelihoods intervention to drought affected pastoral communities in Odweyne, Togdheer region Despite the massive scale up of humanitarian assistance in response to the harsh drought in 2017, the threat of famine still persists in the worst affected areas in Somalia. This project is aimed at continued focus on famine prevention and life-saving humanitarian response by reducing household food consumption gaps with life-saving multi-purpose cash and, protection and recovery of livelihoods in Odweyne district

The project targets 1075 vulnerable drought affected pastoralists HHs including women men, boys, girls, and female headed households who are classified under IPC 4. The drought has severely and directly affected pastoral communities whose sources of food, income and water are diminishing and increasingly at risk. This has led to household food insecurity, sharp increase in debt levels among poor households and a severe reduction in access to safe water for both domestic and animal use. Additionally, the drought affected households rely on food purchase from local markets, have weak purchasing power due to limited income and lack access to credit services due to cumulative debt and therefore not able to purchase veterinary drugs and water, which is essential when livestock body condition is so poor thus susceptible to opportunistic diseases.

The project is informed by the centrality of protection and a gender, age and diversity-sensitive approach which is mainstreamed throughout the project cycle. Moreover the project reflects the principles of COOPI Protection Policy and is built consistently with COOPI Protection SOPs and Protection Mainstreaming guidelines. The project will be guided by the principles of DO NO HARM, ensuring safety and dignity of target population is upheld and at the same time providing for accountability, participation and empowerment.

In order to improve household immediate access to food, unconditional cash transfer will be provided to 1075 pastoralists HHs including girls, pregnant and lactating women, boys and men to enable them immediately access food, water, healthcare, and other basic services. 

To protect key livelihoods assets of pastoralists, livestock belonging to 400 vulnerable pastoralists HHs (including female headed) affected by drought and who cannot afford costs for livestock drugs and treatment services will be provided with treatment. This activity will prevent deaths and reduction in production through treatment of livestock against bacterial infections, trypanosomiasis, helminthosis, tick infestation, mange, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis. Additionally, 400 vulnerable pastoralists’ households will be provided with water for livestock use in response to immediate water needs. The activity is aimed at protecting livestock assets of the drought affected pastoral communities from dehydration, opportunistic infections and death. This activity is envisaged to reduce workload and stress on women and girls who are responsible for watering of livestock. In addition, GBV associated with fetching and transporting water for long distances will be mitigated through the proposed water trucking

In summary the following activities will be carried out:
1. Provide unconditional cash to 1075 HH.
2. Provide livestock treatment support for 400 HH (These beneficiaries will be drawn from those receiving unconditional cash support- sub-set of Activity 1).
3. Provide water for livestock use to 400 HH. (This beneficiaries are the same of those receiving animal treatment support- subset of both Activity 1 and 2)