28 September 2021, Badhan, Somalia - OSRO/SOM/108/CHA - Supporting rural households with cash, livestock and agricultural inputs - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) project, entitled "Emergency livelihood support for drought-affected rural populations", aimed to provide 6 200 drought-affected rural households with emergency cash and livelihood support to enable them to meet their basic needs. The project also aimed to provide households with sustained access to nutritious food by boosting production and protecting livelihood assets. FAO provided 3 700 drought-affected households in Eyl (Nugal) and Laasqoray (Sanaag) with emergency livestock inputs combined with cash transfers disbursed over three months to boost household production and to mitigate deteriorating livestock body conditions resulting from drought, which limited production leading to worsening household food security outcomes, particularly amongst women and children who depend on small livestock as a key nutritional resource. Vulnerable pastoralist households received livestock input kits adapted for targeted areas. The kits were comprised of deworming for up to ten small ruminants to reduce internal parasites that compromise livestock nutrition and body conditions; 10 kg of supplementary mineral blocks to support improved animal nutrition where pastures and rangelands are severely depleted to avoid drops in production; and one milk container (10 litre capacity) to promote milk hygiene and facilitate transportation. The beneficiaries were also trained on how to properly utilize the livelihood inputs they received and the nutritional value of the kits on animals. Households also received monthly cash payments for immediate access to food and other basic goods/services. Each household received cash payments disbursed over three months valued at USD 80 per month in Eyl (Nugaal) and USD 60 per month in Laasqoray (Sanaag).