Agriculture and Food Security

Summary: Nearly 22 million people across the Yemen will go to bed hungry tonight, most of them smallholder farmers who depend on agriculture to make a living and feed their families. Despite an explosion in the growth of urban slums over the last decade, nearly 75 percent of poor people in developing countries live in rural areas. That’s why growth in the agriculture sector has been found, on average, to be at least twice as effective in reducing poverty as growth in other sectors.

Food Security , Livelihoods and Agriculture Department.

The overall goal of IYCY is to make a significant contribution towards improving food security and nutrition and strengthening the resilience of vulnerable rural and urban households in the most conflict areas in Yemen.

Through our Food Security , Livelihoods and Agriculture activities, IYCY:

1. Strive to improve peoples’ living conditions and access to food and livelihood.
2. Improve availability of and access to food for the most vulnerable people in hard to reach areas.
3. Improve food security by supporting agricultural, livestock and fishery systems and assets

The conflict in Yemen have exacted a dreadful toll on civilians, who urgently require assistance to protect their lives and fundamental rights. Yemen Already mired in a humanitarian crisis when violence escalated in march, 2015 ,now  22.2 million people in need of some kind of humanitarian assistance. This includes 17.8 million people in need  food Security, 8.4 million people are severely food insecure and at risk of starvation and this humanitarian needs is escalating day after day in Yemen.

In response to ongoing of humanitarian crisis of people needs for the Food security, International Youth Council-Yemen ( IYCY) has been implementing several projects in Food Security , Livelihoods and Agriculture for the most vulnerable households and internal displaced people ( IDPs) in hard to reach areas in conflict areas in different governorates in Yemen in close coordination with Food Security and Agriculture Cluster.

IYCY’s Priority Interventions are to:

1. Scaling up current emergency food security, nutrition and cropping, pastoral and fisheries-based livelihood responses across all famine-risk districts.
2. Diversify income and livelihoods through cash-for-work activities, rehabilitating water infrastructure, backyard poultry keeping, fishing activities and beekeeping activities.
3. Improved agricultural service delivery interventions at the governorate, district and community levels in order to recover and improve crop, livestock and fisheries productivity on a sustainable basis taking into account the specific needs and priorities of women and girls.
4. Providing start-up capital and training for youth and women entrepreneurs

Programme Achievements

From 2015 up to date with close coordination with National and Sub-National of Food Security and Agriculture Clusters, IYCY has reached and served more than  9,558 HHs ( 66,910 individuals ) of the most vulnerable IDPs and host communities in several governorates in Yemen ( Sana’a, Taizz and Al Hudaydah Governorates) through integrated package programs of Food Security , Livelihoods and Agriculture and Nutrition activities focusing on the most needs of target people as :

1. Food baskets and voucher distribution.
2. Cash transfer.
3. Providing start-up capital and training for youth and women entrepreneurs.
4. Supporting trainings on food security and agricultural production.