Emergency support to protect livestock based livelihoods of the most
vulnerable food insecure herders of 14 provinces of Afghanistan Afghanistan continues to face an increasingly complex humanitarian crisis. High acute food insecurity persists across Afghanistan, the latest data shows that the combination of a collapsing economy and back-to-back droughts is depriving nearly 20 million Afghans of food, classified in Crisis or Emergency (IPC Phases 3 or 4), between March and May 2022 . Further, findings of FAO’s recent assessment done in March/April 2022 as part of the Data in Emergencies initiative confirm the continued adverse impacts of drought on farmers and livestock keepers among which viz. substantial proportion of livestock keepers reported facing a range of difficulties for managing their livestock herds and production. Emergency livestock assistance is essentially a key instrument to ensure sustained income and availability of nutritious foods for vulnerable rural communities in remote areas where no alternative livelihoods options are available.
In 2022 herders are dealing with the third consecutive drought in five years (2018, 2021 amp 2022) with adverse impacts on livestock health, local ecosystems and households coping capacities. Below-average precipitation, poor pasture conditions, drought, and diseases as well as constrained access to pastures, water, feed/fodder in local markets, and veterinary supplies and services have led to a decrease in livestock holding. More than 5 million livestock are expected to be at risk due to lack of sufficient livestock feed, fodder and water. 
In order to protect this key productive asset (livestock holdings) and strengthen the resilience of the marginal nomadic/semi settled livestock herders, FAO will target 75 000 marginal nomadic/semi settled herding HHs (525 000 people) most at risk of losing the minimum viable herd size, adopting negative coping actions of distress destocking, and at the risk of ending being irreversibly displaced to urban areas in 14 provinces of Afghanistan. FAO will distribute per HH an emergency livestock protection package comprising per beneficiary household assistance of 200 Kg concentrate animal feed, 0.2 lit of deworming and 1.5 Kg seeds of fast-growing / high yielding fodder crop varieties, complemented by technical training on sustainable livestock management (early detection of diseases, feeding practices and where possible) linkage with local veterinary services) to ensure emergency survival and maintenance of core breeding and young stock. The proposed action with a duration of 6 months, will be implemented in the following 14 provinces and districts of Afghanistan: Badakhshan – (Warduj, Jorm, Koran wa Monjan, Zebak, Eshkmesh, Yawan, Shahr-e-Buzorg, Kohestan, Darayem) Baghlan – (Tala Wa barfak, Pul-e-Hesar, Khenjan, Guzargah-e- Nur, Andarab) Balkh – (Zari, Kaldar, Marmul) Ghazni – (Nawur, Malestan, Jaghatu, Ajrestan) Ghor – (Dawlatyar, Chaghcharan, DoLayna) Kabul – (Chaharasyab, Guldara, Surobi, Khak-e- Jabbar, Shakardara, Estalef) Kapisa – (Tagab, Hisa-e- Awal-e- Kohestan, Nejrab, Alasay) Khost – (Jajimaydan, Spera, Shamal) Kunar – (Shigal Wa sheltan, Nari, Ghaziabad, Chapadara) Laghman – (Dawlatshah, Qarghayi) Paktika – (Ziruk, Omna, Naka, Gyan, Bermel) Samangan – (Feroznakhchir, Dara-e- Suf-e- Payin) Sar-e-Pul – (Balkhab, Kohestanat, Gosfandi) Takhar – (Baharak, Yangi Qala, Dasht-e- Qala, Rostaq, Eshkashem).