Over the past decade, the Sahel region has witnessed recurrent and multiple shocks. Droughts, floods, conflicts and insecurity have led to the reduction of the most vulnerable populations’ meager assets and capacity to withstand future crises. In a context of extreme poverty and increased exposure to multiple hazards, their food security is at stake.

Chad is the second biggest host country for displaced people in Africa. More than 600 000 refugees and returnees have found refuge in the country, including more than 100 000 people from the Central African Republic settled in the Sudanian belt. Most of them rely on the limited resources in existing refugee sites and host communities. In Mauritania, erratic rains in 2014 lead to cereal production declines and livestock losses, leaving hundred of thousand of people food insecure during the lean season.

To respond to the immediate needs of the most vulnerable populations in both countries, FAO has developed a regional programme to strengthen their livelihoods and contribute to resilience building. A wide range of activities have been developed encompassing all aspects of agriculture, from the provision of crops and livestock inputs to natural resource management and income generation.

Activities were designed around the following objectives:

• Increase food access and reduce vulnerability through agriculture and livestock inputs distributions;
• Increase livelihood adaptive capacity to drought through cash-based initiatives and the reinforcement of environmental, physical and human assets;
• Identify and disseminate best practices and successful initiatives related to livelihood adaptive capacities with high impact on household resilience.