Provision of Poultry Support to Vulnerable Households in Marmul and Mazar center of Balkh Province Acute food insecurity is so high among IPC Phase 3 and 4 food insecure people in Balkh. According to PLSA, 75% of people have poor food consumption score. Around 52% of households are resorting to food based coping strategies. The Whole of Afghanistan conducted this year by Reach confirms the similar result. Whole of Afghanistan survey shows close to 57% people in Balkh province have poor food consumption. As per this survey, 56% of people used crisis or emergency livelihood coping strategies in the past one month. That reduction in local production due to drought decreased income and remittance and increased food items prices severely reduced people’s access to food. Among all others, female-headed HHs are the most vulnerable food insecure category. Food commodity prices have increased hugely and many HHs cannot afford to buy food. 

Acute food insecurity conditions are expected to deteriorate in winter 2022-23 and beyond. Impacts of the 2021 drought and likely higher than normal temperatures resulted in a cumulative negative impact on pasture conditions and food availability. Drought-induced crop reduction, reduced income and unemployment, surging food prices and a broad economic crisis are key drivers of food insecurity in 2022. Loss of household and individual income and savings has resulted in use of negative coping strategies.

The IPC Analysis (Jun-Nov 2022) classifies Balkh province under IPC Phase 4, with 30% (406,804 people) classified in IPC phase 3, and 20% (271,202 people) in IPC 4. About 20 of the 34 provinces in Afghanistan received below average precipitation, 10 of which received well below average precipitation (60-80% compared to 2001-2015 average). In particular, Balkh received precipitations even inferior to those of the 2021 drought year. Above-average temperatures during the current and projection period will also have negative impacts on the upcoming harvest. The province is identified with urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

SWRO under this project provides livelihood poultry support to IPC Phase 3 and 4 vulnerable families in Mazar-e Sharif and Marmul district, with a special focus on women-headed households and support to vulnerable people facing acute food insecurity due to cumulative impacts of various drivers of food insecurity such as the long-term impact of drought, more recent La Niña impact, high levels of unemployment, high food prices, floods and other shocks. SWRO supports 8,372 individuals (1196 households) in Mazar-e Sharif and Marmul district of Balkh province with poultry package assistance to improve the daily food consumption of targeted household and increase their income. SWRO will support these vulnerable food insecure households with one-time poultry package delivery. As per the FSAC recommendation, every targeted household will receive 30 chickens (3 roasters and 27 hens), 150kg feed, 3 drinkers, 3 feeders and a chicken coop. Each household will receive a package worth of $395 in-kind assistance. The assistance will build the livelihoods of targeted vulnerable households and improve their resilience against shocks.

Project participants will be selected based on the FSAC selection criteria through a house-to-house survey in the presence of a committee comprised of representatives from three to four government institutions and community representatives to ensure transparency. Post-Distribution Monitoring will also be conducted upon distribution to assess the accuracy, transparency, and overall performance of the project.