Thousands of vulnerable families can now grow their own food, thanks to a project delivered as part of our emergency response in conflict-torn Central African Republic.
Fighting in Central African Republic ravaged communities and pushed families into food insecurity. Whilst the security situation in the country has improved, 1.5 million people do not have enough to eat and the UN has warned that this figure will rise unless farmers receive urgent support.
The Lobaye region, in the country’s south-west, was badly affected. Families had their homes burned and possessions – including farming tools and seeds – looted. But now, Islamic Relief has funded a project which is empowering families to grow food for themselves once more.
In control of their own food security
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) coordinated with the local community to give seeds and agricultural tools to 3,500 families. Able to once more plant and grow crops, families are increasingly self-reliant and in control of their own food security.
In addition, the project sought to ease the hardships experienced by displaced families in the area, who were unable to return to their homes and retrieve their personal belongings. The project enabled families to meet their basic needs and to maintain their dignity, by providing items such as clothing, kitchen sets, blankets, jerry cans and mosquito nets.
The project assisted Muslim and non-Muslim communities affected by the conflict, reaching around 17,500 people in total. Completed in February, it is one of various projects which Islamic Relief has supported and delivered in the country.