Emergency crop inputs assistance to conflict and natural disaster affected families in Badakshan, Samangan, Kabul and Uruzgan provinces. FSAC response to conflict and natural disaster affected families remain very limited both in terms of number of people assisted and quantity of response package. In more than 90% cases both vulnerable groups received only one month food assistance whereas cluster has confirmed reports on their food sources and income damages. FSAC recently finalized its clusters response gap analysis and came up with assistance priorities for two vulnerable groups’ conflict amp natural disaster affected families where there is a significant gap in term of livelihood assistance in agriculture sector which limit the capacity of farmers to cultivate. 

The project will target (5730) food insecure, natural and conflict affected families with a special focus on women headed household. As per consultations with FSAC, MAIL and partners FAO is targeting Badakhshan (Tagab,Baharak), Samangan (Darisuf Bala, Khuram Wa Sarbagh, Hazarat Sultan, Aybak) , Urozgan(Tarinkot) and Kabul (Bagrami) provinces for natural disaster affected IDPs and Urozgan (Dehrawod) for conflict affected IDPs. Each affected farming family will received certified wheat seed, quality fertilizer and basic training on maximizing production. 

Provision of emergency agriculture inputs (Certified Wheat seeds and fertilizers) will increase the access to nutritious food across the year especially during the upcoming season and will help them to restore and revive their income sources. FAO global and national mandate in Afghanistan is to eradicate hunger and poverty so proposed action is linked with our national level strategy. Selection of the provinces is based on high food insecurity in the areas and impact of natural disaster and conflict on vulnerable agriculture based livelihoods. According to SFSA2016 result these provinces are in high food insecure phases in term of food consumption. This intervention will contribute to accomplishment of FSAC objective 1 “Saves and restore lives and livelihoods of conflict induced IDPs, refugees and returnees and FSAC objective 2 “Saves lives and restore livelihoods of natural disaster affected people”, which are prioritized through envelop three “address urgent assistance gaps and reduce ERW casualties among conflict displaced” and four” essential humanitarian support to address residual needs of the most vulnerable natural disaster affected” of CHF second allocation for 2016”. The specific eligible actions under these two priorities are agriculture recovery/protection activities for particularly vulnerable families affected by conflict‐related natural disaster‐related shocks.

FAO being the lead agriculture technical organization will lead the process of procurement through selection of high quality certified seed, already tested quality fertilizers and basic training to farmers for the timely use of inputs to maximize production. This is in line with FAO/FSAC lead recent seasonal food security assessment recommendation where partners are advised to provide access to quality inputs to bridge gap in production deficit. FAO provide seed package as per MAIL guideline for 2 to 3 Jeribs of irrigated land which includes 50 Kg certified wheat seed, 50 Kg quality Urea and 50 Kg quality DAP as one package/farmer and women household headed to enable them to cultivate 0.4 ha of irrigated land or rain-fed for autumn 2016 planting season. FAO will also conduct post-distribution evaluation and crop performance evaluation during the project timeframe to ensure the intervention is align with the CHF and FSAC pre-defined priories.

It is expected that the targeted farming families will have more than 3 tons yield per hectare while the average yield is around 1.8 tons per hectare at national level, thus the targeted affected farming household will get around 30-40% more yield compare to local wheat seed varieties. In addition farmers will have certified seed at least for next three years through their own production.