Tropentag, October 6-8, 2009, Hamburg

Biophysical and Socio-economic Frame Conditions for the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources Can Humanitarian Food Aid Assistance Serve the Community?
Andreas Jenet
Vtrinaires Sans Fronti`res Germany (VSFG), Programme, Kenya ee e

Abstract Despite the necessity of humanitarian food aid assistance to displaced or malnourished communities, a critic to the intervention has been raised since long. However, during the recent events in the conict and disaster prone areas in the Greater Horn of Africa, food assistance has reached a signicant level in the budget of the humanitarian donors. One of the concerns in regard to food aid assistance is the destruction of the local food production economy and the detrimental long term eects, which create a dependency to external food supply. A pilot project has been implemented in Somalia, Kenya and Sudan sourcing locally produced high-protein-based food in pastoralist communities and the distribution using a voucher system to targeted displaced or malnourished communities. In Upper Nile State and Northern Bahr El Ghazal State of Southern Sudan Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rates in March 2008 reached 17.3 % and 22.7 % respectively. Both areas are predominantly inhabited by pastoralist communities, whose livelihood system is based on cattle and small ruminant production. Milk and meat is traded, but poorly available to destitutes in urban and peri-urban settings. 2000 malnourished beneciary households have been identied and received vouchers for 2 litres milk and 1 kg meat per week over a period of 12 weeks. Results showed that GAM rates were reduced by 0.34 % per week by the supplementary feeding. Analysis in Northern Bahr el Ghazal showed a total of 297 milk producers and vendors, who are mainly women, increased HH income by in average 50 %. The investments resulting from higher income were mainly done in livelihood systems. The 6 butchers increased 100 % the meat turnover and their income by 25 %. Cattle producers sold 10 cattle per week more than in comparison to normal times. Humanitarian food assistance can support local food production economy; even carried out in short term projects and food aid can enhance food security without detrimental long term eects. This project has been funded by ECHO.

Keywords: Food Aid, Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM), Horn of Africa, milk & meat production, pastoralist , Sudan, Voucher system

Contact Address: Andreas Jenet, Vtrinaires Sans Fronti`res Germany (VSFG), Programme, Lenana Road - Horton ee e Court, 00603-25653 Nairobi, Kenya, e-mail: jenet@vsfg.org