Government of Ethiopia selects Ayuda en Acción’s livestock insurance as an innovative solution to hunger

• A satellite-based warning system and the measurement of climate indices enable families to act in time to prevent the loss of livestock.
• This disaster risk mitigation tool will be presented at the upcoming UN Food Systems Summit.
• The NGO will also act in the humanitarian crisis caused by the conflict in Tigray, where 5.2 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.

Madrid, July 23, 2021. Hunger is one of the main challenges hindering development in Ethiopia, a country where factors such as COVID-19, the adverse effects of climate change and internal conflicts aggravate the situation. In the Tigray region alone, the clashes that began in November 2020 have already pushed nearly two million people to the brink of famine. In this context, the Government of Ethiopia has selected a livestock insurance scheme promoted by Ayuda en Acción as one of the innovative solutions to address this reality and contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 1 and 2 (Zero Poverty and Zero Hunger) by 2030.

The selected initiative is IBLI (Index Based Livestock Insurance), a livestock insurance based on climatic indices that, thanks to a satellite warning system, makes it possible to measure indicators related to the effects of drought and to financially compensate Ethiopian families so that they can act in time to prevent the loss of their livestock. More than 10,000 pastoralist livestock farmers in Borena, in the Oromia region, have already benefited from this innovative tool to mitigate the risk of disasters related to the climate crisis.

Livestock insurance is one of the 22 innovative solutions chosen by the Government of Ethiopia to be part of its Food System Transformation Plan, a roadmap for the next 10 years aimed at accelerating and achieving sustainable and healthy diets for its population and contributing to the fulfillment of the 2030 Agenda. The selection comes after a working process of more than two months where Ayuda en Acción, together with other members of Alliance2015 – the European NGO network of which it is part-, has actively participated in various national forums for dialogue to improve Ethiopia’s food system.

“At Ayuda en Acción we have been working since 1996 to address food insecurity and the effects of climate change in Ethiopia. It is an honor to be able to contribute with this livestock insurance to improve living conditions in a country where more than 85% of the population depends on agriculture and livestock for subsistence,” said Ermiyas Tadesse, the NGO’s Program Manager in the country.

The process involved high-level officials from federal ministries, regional governments, UN agencies, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, USAID, NGOs, the private sector and academic institutions.

The solutions selected by the Ethiopian government were approved at an event organized by the executive branch on July 15 in the presence of Lia Tadesse, Minister of Health, and Oumer Hussien, Minister of Agriculture.

The initiative will also be presented at the UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS). This meeting will take place next fall and will seek to share and promote measures that contribute to the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), each of which, according to the United Nations, “depends to some extent on healthier, more sustainable and equitable food systems”.

Tigray: eight months of conflict

The conflict in Tigray, in the north of the country on the border with Eritrea, began on November 4, 2020 and is still ongoing. According to figures provided by different UN agencies, 5.2 million people are in need of immediate humanitarian assistance and to date there are more than 1.6 million displaced people.

In view of this situation, Ayuda en Acción will develop an intervention plan in the area based on food assistance, as well as support for access to water, hygiene and sanitation.

The NGO has been working against poverty and inequality in Ethiopia since 1996, with a special focus on children, youth and women in vulnerable situations. Its cooperation and humanitarian aid projects in the country focus on the fight against climate change, food security, access to health and education, support for local economies and assistance to displaced persons, refugees and migrants.

Spokespersons of the organization in Spain and Ethiopia available for media.

Source: Help in Action