The Effect of Food Aid on Household Food Security in Aysaita Wereda, Afar National Regional State
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Date
2008-10
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study assesses the effect offood aid on household food security in Aysaita Wereda, Afar
National Regional State (ANRS).The study Wereda has been vulnerable to chronic food
insecurity and the majority of the househo!.df.t. wye dependent on food aid. Thus, the
objective of this research was to assess the :dtftr~ of food aid on household food security
and perception of households on food aid and to identify the major coping strategies of
households and-majcrrdetemtinanM-@.f-feed-secrrrity.
Information was gathered by employing primary and secondary data collection tools.
Primary data were collected using household questionnaire, FGD, key informant interview
and personal observation of the researcher. Secondary data were collected from government
organizations and NGOs. The analysis was made using primary data collected from 4
Kebeles (Hinele, 8erga and Keredura and 1 urban Kebele, that is Aysaita Town (Kebele
01 )). Food availability equation was used to measure the level of household food security
status.
The study showed that the majority of the households (72.6 percent) in the Wereda were
found to be food insecure. When food aid is included the food insecure households were
declined to 68.6 percent, i.e. food aid helped 4 percent of the households to be food secure.
Overall, the study households fulfill 78.5 percent of their per capita energy requirement from
all available sources, indicating a food gap of 243.6 Kcal (21.5 percent) of 2100 Kcal
minimum requirement. Moreover, the majority of HHs (89.4 Percent) didn't think that food
aid doesn't have an influence on their agricultural production. The HHs also have a positive
attitude towards food aid in solving their problem and are willing to receive even if they do
have enough to eat. Prolonged supply of free food aid in the study area created dependency
in which the recipients expect continuous assistance. Targeting results of food aid in the
Wereda was also found to be very poor. The major coping strategies of the Wereda thal are
used daily were limit portion size at meal times, reduce number of meals eaten per day,
reduce adult consumption so that children's can eat, rely on causal labor for food and use
money saved in bank account.
It is therefore suggested that among other things, beneficiary engagement in the process of
food aid, carefully design FFW programs, limiting food aid for those who are very much in
need, and overall diversifying the rural economy particularly by giving more emphasis to
livestock production, creating off farm employment opportunities and effective use of food
aid resources through efficient targeting and creating awareness on the part of the society
could help for better household food security and food aid effect in the study area.
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Keywords
Food Aid on Household Food Security