Man-made disasters cost the most in terms of human suffering, loss of life and long-term damage to a country's economy and productive capacity. The last decade has seen a marked increase in what are known as "complex emergencies" - complex because war and internal conflict lead to the breakdown and collapse of social, political and economic structures. Sometimes these emergencies are accompanied by natural disasters, which compound their complexity. Inevitably agriculture and food production are major casualties.

Fitting the aid to the need

FAO's early warning systems keep a close watch on the food and crop supply situation when it is threatened by political developments. When a complex emergency occurs, FAO focuses on trying to get farmers back to their fields so that disaster victims depend on relief aid for as short a time as possible.


Disasters come in many forms

Value of agricultural relief projects

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