With very little time to secure a winter crop weakened by Hurricane Matthew in Haiti, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development (MARNDR), began distribution of seeds and tools to help affected families.

In order to meet immediate and long-term food needs, FAO is working with the World Food Program (WFP), which provides food assistance to families who are also beneficiaries of FAO seeds, of seeds that will be used for planting. The aim is to guarantee farming families the use of these seeds to grow vegetables and thus regain their livelihoods to feed their communities in the coming months.

Last week, in the presence of Mr. Pierre Guito Laurore, Haitian Minister of Agriculture, FAO began distributing emergency supplies to nearly 22,500 people in Marfranc, one of the hardest hit areas of the Department of Grand'Anse. These communities received 15 tons of seed, which will produce about 75 tons of green beans and 90 tons of lima beans for families affected by the hurricane.

These short cycle crops are ideal in emergency situations because they produce food quickly. As part of efforts to revive sweet potato production, farmers' communities will receive more than 2.2 million sweet potato cuttings that will be planted during the winter growing season.

In all, FAO emergency intervention for the winter staple crop season and short-cycle horticultural crops will have, by mid-December, reached 25 050 households −125 250 people− in the most affected departments of Haiti, including 5 400 households in Grand’Anse, 15 150 in Sud, 2 000 in Nord-Ouest, 1 500 in the Artibonite, and another 1 000 across Sud-Est and Ouest. FAO is also providing immediate assistance to 1 500 fisher families and 2 000 herder families.

FAO needs $9 million to provide immediate assistance to nearly 300 000 hurricane-affected people, $5.6 million is still missing to provide immediate crop, livestock and fisheries support.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19367-haiti-agriculture-situation-report-and-support-from-fao.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19337-haiti-social-more-than-800-000-haitians-need-food-urgently.html

HL/ HaitiLibre