East Africa: IGAD Launches Food System Resilience Program

Michael Tewelde / WFP
Severe drought has killed livestock in the pastoralist community of Higlo Kebele in Ethiopia (file photo).
6 February 2024
The Ethiopian Herald (Addis Ababa)

Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has launched phase one of the Food Systems Resilience Program for Eastern and Southern Africa.

The program is projected to alleviate the impact of climate change, locust infestation, and Covd-19, IGAD announced.

Speaking on the launching event, the IGAD Agriculture and Food Security Head Mohyeldeen EltohamiTaha stressed the need of innovative implementations of addressing the climatic change happening in the regions.

The program is aimed to build resilient agricultural production, to develop agricultural landscape and natural resources, promoting policymaking and market system, he stated.

On the occasion, African Union Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, JosefaSacko, said that the program would help to respond threats of chronic food insecurity caused by the growing climate change and socio-economic challenges.

Both Eastern and Southern regions of Africa are experiencing natural and socio-economic shocks. Poverty reduction and food insecurity mitigation programs like the IGAD launched food system resilience are means to the solution, she said.

Higher officials from southern and eastern African countries attended the launching of the program and discussed existing challenges and opportunities in making food systems resilient.

The World Bank promised 25 million USD supports to be injected with seven years of the project implementation period, IGAD reported.

Having over 230 million people, the IGAD region is suffering from food insecurity, it was stated.

BY STAFF REPORTER

THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 6 FEBRUARY 2024

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