560,000 IDPs in the northeast to benefit from FAO distribution of agric inputs

Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) RAP office

By Hamza Suleiman

The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) will distribute fertilisers, seeds and other inputs to 560,000 displaced persons for dry season farming in northeast.

Ms. Divya Sama, FOA’s Communications Officer, North East Field Office, said in a statement released in Maiduguri on Friday that 70,000 households would receive assorted fertilisers, seeds and tools, to accelerate vegetables and cash crop production.

She disclosed that the organization had concluded arrangement to commence distribution of the commodities under the programme in October.

The communication officer explained that the programme focussed at encouraging displaced farmers to return to the farm and cultivates crops, to mitigate the effects of food crisis occasioned by Boko Haram insurgency.

Sama noted that the programme was also designed to improve the nutritional intake of vulnerable persons and provide means of livelihood to traumatized farmers in the North-East region.

“The dry season programme targeted vulnerable persons, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), returnees in host communities.

“This effort is led by the Government of Nigeria to restore livelihoods and combat critical levels of food security and malnutrition in areas ravaged by Boko Haram insurgency.

“More than 2.4 million people were displaced; thus, aggravating the deteriorating food security and livelihoods in the region.

“We are geared to address critical challenges confronting farmers, who are experiencing shortage of agricultural inputs that continue to prolong their reliance on expensive humanitarian assistance,” Sama said.

According to her, the programme was being executed in collaboration between the Federal Government, United Nations (UN) and other development organizations.
Sama listed the organization to include the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) as well as Belgium, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States (US).

She reiterated the organisation’s commitment to work in partnership with government and other organisations to address the food and humanitarian crisis in North-East.

It will be recalled that FOA had distributed fertilisers, seeds and inputs to displaced farmers in the past one year in the North-East.

NAN