EC SUPPORTS THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR AND NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN SOMALILAND WITH A € 1.5 MILLION GRANT

12 February 2007

The European Commission has awarded a grant of € 1.5 million to Deutsche Welthungerhilfe / German Agro Action (DWHH/GAA) for a project that supports the agricultural sector through the promotion of a better natural resources management in the region of Northern Sanaag ( Somaliland).

With the total cost of € 1.67 million, this project is co-financed by additional 170,000 EUR of DWHH/GAA’s own funds. Deutsche Welthungerhilfe / German Agro Action aims with this initiative to support poverty reduction through enhanced food security for the poor and the disadvantaged. The project will cover isolated areas of Northern Sanaag, dramatically affected by food insecurity and high malnutrition rates.

The conservation of the unique ecosystem of the Buuraha Surud Madow constitutes a priority objective of the intervention. This mist forest, key part of the ecosystem of the valleys originating from the rim of the escarpment, serves as an important water reservoir for the valleys, sustaining permanent rivers in an otherwise very arid area. The forest plays an essential role for irrigation farming and for the enhancement of food security and income generation.

Activities of the project will also include training of farmers in improved farming techniques, provision and testing of improved seeds, as well as the introduction of new seed varieties. In addition, the project will focus on the rehabilitation and improvement of existing infrastructures for irrigation and transport and on the promotion of date palm cultivation and fruit trees through improved access to agricultural information and markets. Community based forest management systems will be reactivated and/or newly developed.

The action aims to support around 2,000 households (approx. 15,000 individuals) directly, amounting to about 10% of the estimated population of the Sanaag Region. Up to 125,000 people will indirectly benefit from this intervention. A detailed participatory baseline assessment, whose results will be made available to all interested stakeholders, has already been undertaken.

This project has a three-year implementation period and was selected through a call for proposals for financial assistance from the 9th EDF of the European Commission to support the development of agriculture and livestock in Somalia.

Source: EU