Kabul, 5 August 2022 (TDI): Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a grant agreement with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to provide grant aid of up to 1,879 million yen for the project for the Enhancement of Food Production Capacity in Afghanistan.
JICA and FAO have come together intending to contribute to enhancing agricultural productivity and fostering farmers’ livelihood.
Afghanistan urgently requires humanitarian aid from the international community due to the terrible poverty and food shortage the nation is currently experiencing following the drought that hit the country last year.
Moreover, the targeted regions for aid facilitation include 11 provinces in Afghanistan: Helmand, Laghman, Jawzjan, Badakhshan, Takhar, Kunduz, Khost, Paktika, Ghazni, Daikundi, and Badghis Provinces.
Objectives of the project
The project intends to enhance farmers’ livelihood and economic conditions by completing the following tasks in 11 provinces of Afghanistan, advancing SDG’s Goal 2 (Zero Hunger).
• Rehabilitation of 326 small-scale irrigation facilities.
• Distribution of seed packages to 18,000 agriculture farmers.
• Allocation of livestock-protection packages, including feed and vaccinations, to 10,000 livestock farmers and provision of home-gardening kits to 20,500 households
• Training related to the above activities.
Also read: Millions of children go hungry in Afghanistan
Persisting food insecurity in Afghanistan
The drought that affected 80% of the country’s territory in 2021 caused a catastrophic food shortage for 20 million Afghans, around half of the country’s population.
According to Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), half of Afghanistan’s population is facing acute hunger and cannot feed themselves daily.
In addition, almost half of the agriculture farmers report lower crop harvests compared to the amount last year. Also, there is a potential risk of losing around 3 million farm animals shortly, which could result in a loss of income for farmers.
Ultimately, a further decline in agricultural production is anticipated due to inflation in the cost of agricultural products like seeds and fertilizers.
