Food - People targeted
Objectives
Vulnerable populations are supported through timely distribution of emergency food assistance.
Response
The response by Food Cluster partners will follow a needs-based approach, which will prioritize woredas affected by various shocks, including drought conditions, floods and conflicts that resulted in population displacements. Through the vulnerability-based targeting (VBT) approach, that involves participation of the communities and relevant stakeholders, the most food insecure households will continue to be identified and registered for emergency food assistance. Vulnerability indicators that are collected through the VBT implementation will allow government, partners and communities to adjust distribution plans based on available resources and prioritize households that are affected by various shocks. Analysis from VBT indicates that priority population groups include households headed by children and women, households with disabled and elderly members, returning migrants, and households displaced due to natural and man-made hazards.
Food Cluster partners will provide assistance by distributing in-kind food commodities or through distribution of cash that will allow targeted households to purchase the equivalent of a food basket. For the in-kind commodities, a monthly standard food basket will comprise of cereals (15kgs); pulses (1.5kgs) and vegetable oil (0.45l) per person. Cash transfer values will be determined based on the market prices of the in-kind food basket commodities in the local markets. Cluster partners will regularly monitor prices and availability of commodities in local markets to gather evidence that will inform feasibility and effectiveness of the above modalities. For the returning migrants, cooked meals will be provided at the identified migrant reception centers for three days, or for seven days if the migrants have increased vulnerabilities.
The Food Cluster aims to continue with integrated interventions following a pilot from 2023, which was implemented in collaboration with the Agriculture, Health, Nutrition, Protection and WASH Clusters. This will involve joint prioritization of operational areas, strengthen incorporating safeguards and policies to ensure the well-being of children, addressing child labor, nutrition, access to essential services within the food cluster, and commitment to deliver minimum response packages to support vulnerable households and youngest members.
Rural Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) and the Urban Productive Safety Net and Jobs Project (UPSNJP)
Food response also includes assistance to people affected by shocks in rural areas provided by the Rural Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) that is providing. In 2024, the Government of Ethiopia’s PSNP through its shock-responsive safety net component, will scale up to respond to drought and related economic shocks in rural parts of the country. For this, around US$16.7 million, in funding from the Government of Ethiopia and the World Bank (WB), will be programmed to finance cash-based shock-responsive assistance to people affected by shocks.
In addition to the above, the Rural PSNP, as part of its core operation, will continue to reach 7.9 million individual clients in 485 rural districts in 12 regions of the country through a predictable food and/or cash transfer, further contributing to households’ food security, poverty reduction, and resilience. A total of 6.8 million Public Works and 1.1 million Permanent Direct Support Clients receive cash and/ or food transfers through the program.
Furthermore, the WB through the Urban Safety Nets and Jobs Project (UPSNJP) plans to extend cash assistance to IDPs in its program operational areas. With this response, a total of US$18.5 million will be programmed to reach close to 168,000 IDPs requiring emergency cash assistance in the year 2024.
Financial requirements
As estimated, US$1.55 billion will be required to provide food assistance to vulnerable people in 2024. The financial requirements are based on full cost recovery, which includes the costs for procurement, warehousing, distribution of food or cash, and monitoring of the food response in the country. This also includes resources required to conduct regular food security monitoring, to provide an update of food security analysis that will inform any adjustments to the planned interventions. The inflationary environment will likely contribute to an increase in the cost of the response.
Monitoring
Cluster partners will monitor the food response through various strategies, to collect both output and outcome level indicators. Through on-site field visits, and post distribution monitoring, information will be collected to inform adjustments that will have to be incorporated in the response. Monthly reporting of food assistance activities will continue in 2024, utilizing the ActivityInfo platform, following a series of trainings undertaken in 2023.
Food security monitoring and analysis will be prioritized in 2024 to ensure timely availability of evidence that shows changes in the humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable people. This will be implemented through localized food security and the seasonal surveys, market monitoring, including rapid assessments in woredas affected by sudden-onset emergencies.
The Cluster will continue to prioritize accountability to affected population, by ensuring that there are systems that allow for voices of targeted people to be heard, through effective Complaints Feedback and Response Mechanism (CFRM) strategies. This will include the call centers, help desks and interaction with communities during field visits. In 2023, the Cluster arranged training on Protection (GBV, Child Protection, PSEA, Gender, Disability and age Inclusion) for partners to incorporate these crucial elements in the 2024 response plan. The Cluster will continue to monitor any gaps that require support from experts in these fields.