Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
As part of a joint UN appeal, FAO and partners are calling for US$23.6 million to support over 200 000 people to resettle in the North of Sri Lanka. This emergency response plan aims to promote self sufficiency and prevent further dependency on food aid for some 50 000 rural families.
Nearly 130 000 people have returned to their places of origin in the North of Sri Lanka as of December 2009. Anticipating further accelerated pace of return, resettling families need assistance to resume their livelihoods, boost local agricultural production and related income generating opportunities and improve their food security.
With an estimated 80 percent of the population in the Northern Province reliant on crop cultivation, livestock and fisheries as their primary source of livelihoods, assistance needs to focus on rural livelihoods.
As part of the sector’s response plan, immediate measures need to be taken to address socio-economic and environmental losses, increase food production, ensure food security and improve nutritional levels of resettled IDP farmer and fisher families and conflict-affected people in the North.
“We want to assist the government in reducing poverty level among conflict affected populations by enhancing income generating and employment opportunities”, stressed Patrick Evans, the FAO Representative in Sri Lanka.
Immediate assistance is also needed to re-establish and strengthen institutional capacities to develop crops, livestock and fisheries, the FAO statement said.
As part of ongoing emergency programmes, FAO is providing rice and other field crops such as cowpea, green gram, maize and groundnut, and training to over 6 600 vulnerable families in Jaffna, Vavuniya and Mannar this maha season 2009/10 with funds provided by the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA).
In addition, with funds provided by the UK Department of International Development, FAO provided ongoing paddy assistance and training to some 11 000 families for cultivation during this maha season.
FAO has also received funds from the Australian Government to provide integrated agriculture and food security assistance for 6 000 newly resettled families in the North during the next Yala season 2010.
