Emergency operations

Emergencies, from hurricanes, floods and earthquakes to civil conflicts and war, leave rural people as their most vulnerable survivors. With most communities dependent on agriculture and related enterprises for food security and livelihoods, FAO’s expertise in farming, livestock, fisheries and forestry is crucial in relief and rehabilitation efforts.

From crisis to recovery

FAO’s work in post-disaster and emergency situations emphasizes the protection and rehabilitation of agricultural livelihoods. FAO works to restore local food production, providing an exit from food aid and other assistance. In responding to an emergency, FAO collaborates with many partners, including governments, other UN organizations and humanitarian groups.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) coordinates the international community’s response to complex emergencies and natural disasters.

During interagency missions, FAO takes the primary role in determining agriculture and food security needs, consulting farmers, herders, fishers and local authorities. Farmers, even when vulnerable and poor, have knowledge, skills and ideas about what can help them. Giving them choices in types of assistance preserves their dignity and makes interventions more effective.

FAO designs relief and rehabilitation programmes and, in coordination with UN and other partners, mobilizes funds. FAO solicits donor support through Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP), other emergency or transitional appeals, and strategy papers/updates.

Not just seeds and tools

The international community responds to crises by providing food aid and other assistance, so the emergency does not degenerate into a large-scale catastrophe.

FAO plays a vital role in restoring food production and reducing dependency on aid. The Organization distributes materials, obtained locally where possible, including:

• seed and fertilizer
• fishing equipment
• livestock
• farm tools

FAO offers more sophisticated assistance in complex emergencies, when rural communities have suffered armed conflicts as well as natural disasters or diseases:

• providing drought-resistant seeds to vulnerable farmers
• training and equipping community animal health workers to save livestock
• educating HIV/AIDS orphans in farming techniques and life skills

These programmes focus on providing materials while also building people’s knowledge and skills, increasing self-reliance and laying foundations for agricultural recovery.

Information for action

FAO establishes a coordination unit in areas affected by a major natural disaster or prolonged emergency. The team provides information and advice to those involved in emergency agricultural assistance, including NGOs, governments and donors, meaning fewer gaps in delivery of assistance, less duplication and fewer wasted resources.

FAO is also as a key source of information on food security and nutrition, provide stakeholders including humanitarian partners and governments with information to ensure the best policy, planning and programming decisions.