Gudeta PhD, KumelaKebede, Endalamw2020-07-242023-11-182020-07-242023-11-182020-06http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/12345678/21969In Ethiopia, food insecurity is not only rural problem but also one of the growing urban problems. Currently, more than 8 million people need food assistance for the year 2018/2019 (MF, 2019). Urban food security is a growing concern for the Ethiopian government for the last ten years. The problem is toxic combination of urban poverty, high dependency of urban household on food supply by market and fluctuation of food price. The objective this study is to assess and examine the urban food security intervention in Dire Dawa city administration. In order to achieve the objectives of the study, descriptive research design employed. Key informant interview, focus group discussion and document review were the central data collection techniques. In this study, three urban kebeles were selected based on purposive sampling techniques on the food insecurity status of the community in the kebeles and as the first beneficiary of the urban food security program. Key informant interview were made with experts in the respective kebele and officials in the city administration. Purposive sampling technique was employed to select the study participants for the focus group discussion. The implementation of the program has brought tangible changes on the livelihood and wellbeing of the beneficiaries through public works and direct assistance for the people who are unable to participate in public work, like children aged and disable people. It help them to protect sudden shocks of food security at household level, asset protection, asset creation, help them to save some amount of money to participate in small scale business in the near future. The program also has been faced with challenges like favoritism, embezzlement and political interest. Moreover, small salaries, high staff turnover, lack of coordination among government institutions are constraints of the program. The finding of the study shows that, urban food security program contributed to the improvement of household food security status, at the household level. There is also a growing attitudinal change to means of livelihood, liquid and solid waste handling and disposal. In addition, there is a growing awareness of environmental conservation. Hence, the Federal government and Dire Dawa City Administration should take a lesson to correct some of the constraints like, lack of coordination among government stake holders, for the next program in the reaming kebeles, in order to utilize the limited resource and achieving its main objective.enfood, urban food security, livelihood environmental conservationThesis