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Tajikistan

Tajikistan: Food Security Bulletin - Dec 2009

Attachments

HIGHLIGHTS

- Generally, the overall food security situation has not changed since last round. Moderate and severe insecurity remains at about 22% and 9% respectively. The stability in food security is due to a good harvest of wheat and vegetables and to assistance provided to households affected by heavy rains, late frost and food price/ economic crises in certain areas.

- The lack of improvement of moderate food insecurity at a time when better physical access should allow households to be food secure is mainly due to external shocks such as a decrease in remittances, lack of employment opportunities, harvest failure, lack of drinking and irrigation water and human and animal diseases creating pockets of food insecurity.

- Sughd and Khatlon are the most food-insecure regions, due to economic shocks (especially the loss of employment and decrease in remittances). Long-term interventions, especially in agriculture (irrigation, seeds and access to land) and job and assets creation integrated with nutrition projects are recommended for the most vulnerable households in these areas.

- The outlook for the next three months is uncertain. The good harvest provides households with land and livestock with good stocks and assets to go through the winter. But households normally dependent on remittances or relying on begging and borrowing of food will be in need for immediate assistance. The food price and economic crises still threaten fragile progresses made by some households that have managed to improve their livelihoods. Moreover, there are good signs that the construction sector in Russia is picking up after months of slow activity. The next migrations could bring a most needed income to rural households.

WFP thanks the U.K. Department for International Development for its support of the FSMS.