Emergency Food Security and Livelihood Project for Vulnerable IDPs and Destitute Pastoralist Households in Hobyo District The planned FSL project intervention is cluster specific response that conforms to the Humanitarian Response Plan for 2019 and the 1st 2018 SHF Standard Allocation for the Food Security and Livelihood as it applies to project planned target District of Hobyo (South Mudug Region). The project will provide lifesaving support to 7,704 people assessed to be in acute food insecurity, ‘Crisis’ and ‘Emergency’ phases of IPC (3 and 4)  by providing them with a means to sustained access to food and safety net support.

The project proposes lifesaving interventions that are gender sensitive, adapt centrality of protection and that mainstream gender and protection in the delivery methods proposed. The project will specifically prioritize destitute pastoralists and IDP households, women from the destitute households left behind in identified accessible settlements (hard to reach areas especially such as rural areas of the two Districts) and other households as identified in the Hobyo Districts that fall into the IPC 3 and 4. The planned project activities will help mitigate the effects of the failure of the Deyr 2018 season rains in Central Somalia Region. 

The project seeks to improve households’ immediate access to food to 733 vulnerable households through Unconditional Cash Transfers (UCTs) for 3 months with each household being entitled US $71 as per MEB for Mudug Region. The project will undertake a vulnerability assessment in selected locations of the targeted 4 locations in the District (2 settlements with IDPs and 2 settlements with high number of vulnerable host households) with the findings being used in developing the criteria for selection of the planned UCT beneficiaries and informing on protection needs.  Priority for the UCTs beneficiaries will be given to women-led households from the most vulnerable among recently displaced, non-displaced and socially marginalized communities in each of the respective target District. The UCTs planning will also be supported by a market analysis undertaken in the District (undertaken by the FSL Team) to determine the capacity of local markets to absorb the resources extended to the beneficiaries. 

In addition the project will undertake Conditional Cash Transfer for 451 unskilled laborers rehabilitating 3 Water Pans.  Each unskilled labourer of the planned 410 CfW laborers shall get $ 5 per day for 30 days and 41 skilled laborers at the rate of US 7. A total of 6,000 CUM water impounding capacity will be added to the current existing 1,080 CUM in the 3 targeted dams in Hobyo District. The project will also support the protection of the core breeding and milking herds normally under the care of women in the rural and urban settlements through supportive treatments. This will involve the creation of the requisite animal treatment capacity (currently missing) involving the provision of fixed value animal treatment vouchers.  A total of 1,000 animals in the district are targeted where each HH is estimated to be keeping 10 Shoats. A total of 100 HHs will be targeted in the District. 

The project will provide for continuous community engagement during the implementation process to ensure that the project gets feedback from the beneficiary community necessary for determining the effectiveness of the response and arising gaps that will require humanitarian response. This is particularly necessary given the prediction of a possible below average rainfall for the coming Gu 2019 season as indicated by FEWSNET in its January 2019 update.

The project will also mainstream gender and protection components in order to ensure it supports inclusiveness of both genders but in particular helps make women a priority in the design as direct beneficiaries ensuring the resultant benefits of the project accrue to them. The project will also ensure there is adequate protection of women in all the venues and staging points of the project to ensure it provides the women safety and protection required.