French Ambassador visits Action Against Hunger’s Nutrition and Resilience project in Nakivale
The Action Against Hunger - a French NGO - project called ’Uganda Nutrition and Resilience Project’ is established in Nakivale. It aims to strengthen food security and to prevent malnutrition for 2,000 households, including 1 462 refugees ones in Nakivale. This project is funded by to the amount of €500,000 as part of the 2023 French Food Aid Programme.
The French NGO Action Against Hunger plays an essential role in the fight against hunger in Uganda. Its work aims to prevent malnutrition by raising awareness among the population and working with farmers.
Its project in Nakivale is subdivided in 4 main actions: the distribution of food vouchers, the development of domestic food self-production and large-scale agricultural production and to put the emphasis on needed social and behavioral shifts as a communication priority.
Action Against Hunger’s representatives showed the French Ambassador around one of their two farmhouses. 25 farmers share 10 hectares of land for agricultural production. Production is diverse, ranging from beans and manioc to higher value-added products such as onions, tomatoes and chillies.
The use of the land is made possible by an agreement with the Office of the Prime Minister, under which land is granted free of charge and without consideration to the refugees for farming. A 5-year agreement has been signed between AAH and OPM, with the possibility of renewal for as long as the land is used.
Beneficiaries explained to the French Ambassador that this project fulfills their needs, and allowed us to improve their farming techniques. They would like additional equipment to boost their agricultural production.
France’s commitment is a further step in its support for the most vulnerable households in Uganda and reinforces its commitment to refugees. This NGO had already received €300,000 for this project in Nakivale in 2021, which was used in particular to set up a solar panel irrigation system. This seems essential given the low rainfall in Nakivale (with only one productive season).
A field visit to this farmland is essential in view of the WFP’s ongoing refugee prioritisation exercise, which allocates food aid on the basis of household food needs. For example, in the Southwest Uganda, new arrivals receive 100% food rations for three months before being automatically categorised as the most vulnerable refugees (in category 1).
The most vulnerable category 1 refugees receive the equivalent of USD 6.4 or 10 kg of food in kind per month per person, while vulnerable category 2 refugees receive the equivalent of USD 3.2 or 5 kg of food in kind per month per person.
However, the food security of refugees could deteriorate without significant investment in livelihood activities. Although the overall acute malnutrition rate is lower in the Nakivale camp, the stunting rate among refugee children under 5 is relatively high at 40%.