Supporting Livestock Owners in Aleppo Governorate during Winter Season's Critical Months With the Syrian crisis approaching its 7th year, the FSL sector has witnessed a notable decline (major food resources have changed from its sustainable local production and became more and more insufficient without the necessary amount or quality to reach food security, thus the number of people in need of food assistance has increased as the number of available food items decreased while their quality dropped and their prices skyrocketed as a result of the sharp decline in the purchasing power of the local currency. According to (HNO2017), 1 in 3 people is food-insecure. Based on the above description, developmental projects were adopted in an attempt to achieve stability in food security, as those projects contribute to the investment in natural resources and creation of employment opportunities as a step towards achieving food security. Civilians can rely on such projects to meet their food needs, even partially, instead of relying entirely on provided assistance which generally lacks continuity and can be impeded security- and accessibility-wise. In addition, such projects do not drain humanitarian aid resources which can be utilized during an emergency response.

This project will target Mare' sub-district in rural Aleppo, Project activities will provide the veterinarian coverage for about 50,000 sheep, cows and goats in the upcoming winter season within the targeted locations. This number is based on the last survey conducted in collaboration with the local council’s agricultural office. ONSUR will implement four vaccination campaigns where these activities will be implemented through a veterinarian centers located in Marea which will cover the needs for all nearby areas and a mobile clinic that will reach the far ones.

This clinic will act as the main center the storage for all the meds and vaccines in addition to providing vet assistance and services to close breeders in surrounding area for 4 hours every day and for the other 4 hours, it will conduct field visits to breeders in close distances according to a developed plan.In addition, the center will be supported with a mobile clinic that will reach to and provide vet services (including vaccination, treatment, and training) to the headers on a regular basis.In addition, the project, through the vet center and the mobile clinic, will provide training sessions to the local herders in the area. these training will reach about 550 herders in the targeted locations and will focus on the protection and sustain of the livestock. The vet center will host the training in the center's location and the nearby area while specific field location will hold the field ones 

It is important to know that during most of the winter season, herders cant secure the feed for their livestock due to a general shortage of fodder and its high prices. Therefore, this project aims also to support and protect the livelihoods of local herders in the targeted areas by protecting their livestock assets in the upcoming critical winter months and help them secure their needs and reach the sufficient levels where they can increase livestock production and avoid stress selling coping mechanisms. This output shall be achieved by supporting vulnerable herders with fodder where the priority will be given to female-headed HHs to promote and support women’s role and participation in the development of society. In Marea district ONSUR will be supporting vulnerable families as ONSUR will be targeting the women by rate 20% minimum and those families will be supported by fodder sufficient for 3 months so vulnerable herders will receive 337.5 KG of fodder for 3 sheep or 1170 KG of fodder for 1 cow while receiving necessary treatment and vaccinations by the vet center or the mobile clinic.

ONSUR will be conducting a number of training for the recipients concerning the best methods to raise and keep their livestock where the training will be divided into both lectures and practical field trainings