Background

In response to the region's increasingly complex and chronic emergency situation, FAO has adopted a livelihoods-based, strategic framework for its emergency operations. The approach aims to meet short-term humanitarian needs and link to sustainable development initiatives by rehabilitating and strengthening livelihoods.

The programme works towards the following objectives:

• improved agricultural and livestock production through more intensified and diversified methods of cultivation and husbandry
• capacity building and development of livelihood and life skills
• improved information sharing, coordination and advocacy.

Humanitarian Situation

The humanitarian situation across the southern Africa region is one of 'chronic vulnerability', caused by a complex interaction among a number of factors which are threatening the achievement of the Millenium Declaration and the Millenium Development Goals.

Food insecurity: chronic and unacceptable levels of food insecurity in southern Africa are caused  by recurrent climatic shocks, declining soil fertility, lack of access to quality agricultural inputs and the spread of transboundary livestock disease. These problems have accumulated over time so that, today, food shortages have become the norm rather than the exception.

HIV and AIDS: the southern Africa region is the epicentre of the HIV epidemic. Nearly 32 percent of people with HIV globally, live in southern Africa. HIV has immediate, negative effects on agricultural productivity that cause a vicious cycle of mutually-reinforced, negative impacts on livelihoods in the region. Increased malnutrition weakens the resistance of HIV-infected people to other opportunistic infections. In turn, family labour available for agricultural work and income generating activities is reduced, making recovery even more problematic for affected families.

Weakened capacity for service provision: severe spending constraints and the impact of HIV related mortality have drastically curtailed government capacity for services, regulation and planning, particularly in rural areas. Many government departments have enormous operational constraints and rely on humanitarian assistance to perform even core tasks. Weakened capacity for governance also affects the important functions of market regulation and development, urban and rural planning and environmental protection.

How FAO succeeds in Southern Africa

The FAO Regional Emergency Coordination Office for Southern Africa is co-located with other UN agencies in the  United Nations Regional Inter-agency Coordination Support Office (RIACSO) in Johannesburg, South Africa. It coordinates and provides technical backstopping for emergency and rehabilitation operations in southern Africa, including projects in Angola, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Coordination and sharing of technical expertise

FAO helps coordinate agricultural interventions in the region and provides up-to-date technical advice to various stakeholders in the agricultural sector. During crisis and post-crisis periods, FAO assists by working together with governments and the many NGOs intervening in the agriculture sector. This coordinated approach allows continuous dialogue and strategic thinking, helps avoid gaps and overlaps in providing assistance, and optimizes impact.