UNION OF MYANMAR

AREA OF EXPERTISE

Food security and livelihood

FUNDING

• Funding: French Foreign Affairs Ministry – Inter-ministry Committee on Food Security

The fact that 2008's production is approximately only 30% of the usual production, and the damage caused by the cyclone, make recruitment and payment (in rice) of the day-workers complicated, especially in terms of the next rainy season's crops.
Food safety is still volatile owing to lack of production means and difficult access to food (the roads, bridges and paths to villages are severely damaged). Development projects will seek to alleviate such issues but there will be a gap in terms of food distribution. TGH is addressing this gap and improving food security in the households most affected by Nargis with a project adapted to the humanitarian action unrolling in the entire region.

The specific objectives of the project are:

1. Limit the food crisis by improving agriculture in the areas affected by cyclone Nargis to recover production capacity and enable sufficient output (harvest) in 2009
   
   
2. Help the victims of Cyclone Nargis make the transition between emergency relief and stabilisation / development action (cessation of aid).

Activities:

1. Food distribution (Food for Work)
   Food rations will be distributed to workers once a month all through the action phase, e.g. the 6 months representing the rainy season work period.
   
   
2. Works performed in the project’s framework
   In Laputta and Kungyangon districts, in all 45 villages where TGH is active, over 4,000 families will be involved in works to improve local living conditions.
   
   - Paddy fields works:
   Agricultural land, of which the salt content has increased due to Nargis, require a great deal of preparation for the harvest of 2009. This is also the case regarding the interior dykes and irrigation canals. In the 45 villages targeted by TGH, the entire cultivable surface represents more than 22,000 acres (approx. 9,000 hectares). Some 2,200 workers from 45 villages in Kungyangon and Laputta districts will be mobilised during 2 months for rehabilitation works and preparation of paddy fields. During the subsequent 4 months, teams of workers will perform paddy field maintenance.
   
   - Layout works for shrimp breeding basins:
   Where land salinity is unsuitable for crop culture, shrimp breeding offers an important complementary activity during the dry season. However the breeding installations and basins were severely damaged or destroyed by the cyclone. Works will be performed to ensure the basins are operational by the beginning of the dry season.
   
   - Rehabilitation of bridges and piers:
   When TGH did an evaluation of needs in December 2008, we listed several bridges and piers requiring repair or consolidation. In an effort to strongly involve the community in the rehabilitation of these public works, that are essential  to recovery of the villages’ economic and social activities, we will ask each village to contribute to the purchase of building supplies. (In Kungyangon district, TGH also asked the community to participate in this manner). 15 bridges and 23 piers will be rehabilitated : 5 bridges and 20 piers in Laputta; 10 bridges and 3 piers in Kungyangon.
   
   - Rehabilitation of water points:
   Most water points - the source of drinking water for villagers - have been polluted by seepage and salt water runoff. They need serious cleaning and layout works. Two types of water points will be rehabilitated: wells (mainly in Kungyangon district) and reservoirs (mainly in Laputta district). We plan the rehabilitation of 20 wells and 43 reservoirs: 2 wells and 40 reservoirs in Laputta, 18 wells and 3 reservoirs in Kungyangon.
   
   - Rehabilitation of roads:
   The cyclone damaged many roads and drainage ditches but few repair works have been initiated so far. In the framework of this project, 150 km of roads and paths will be repaired in the districts of Laputta and Kungyangon.
   
   
3. Distribution of seeds for market gardening
   About 4,600 households in Laputta and Kungyangon will receive an assortment of seeds for cultivation. To improve food security in the households, each assortment represents one year of production for family consumption. Certain plants from these seeds can also be used to generate new seeds for the following years, thus maintaining the vegetable crop activity (an activity that generally already exists). As well as the seeds, the families will receive fertilizers and pesticides to help them. Training and tool kits will also be offered to facilitate planting.