August 2010 | NUMBER 7 Tajikistan Fighting Hunger Worldwide Food Security Monitoring System The Food Security Monitoring System (FSMS)provides a seasonal snapshot of food insecurity in rural Tajikistan by analyzing data from 665 households and the nutritional status of 959 children under 5 and 918 women between 15-49World years old. The Food FSMS can alert Programme to incidents of critical food insecurity and nutrition. Overview of household food security and nutrition between February and August 2010 FOOD SECURITY to drinking and irrigation water and unemployment. • Overall food security situation appears to have improved • Severe food insecurity is confined to natural disaster compared to the previous round, with 7% (down from 10%) affected areas, especially the potato harvest and the loss of the households interviewed classified as severely food of crops in kitchen gardens. stocks and livestock. insecure and 16% moderately food insecure (decreased NUTRITION from 21%). • Malnutrition is at the same levels as last year in July Rural households benefit from a fairly good harvest, but higher than in the UNICEF National Survey due mainly better livestock health and breeding, higher remittances to seasonality. 10% of the children are wasted and 33% and seasonal jobs. are stunted. The main causes remain lack of nutrition • High staple food prices represent the main threat to knowledge of the caretaker, diseases, quality of drinking households’ food security. High prices are mainly due water and hygiene practices. to external factors: speculation of local traders due to • Underweight women represent 7.7% of all the women recent wheat export ban in Russia, reduced harvest in interviewed while 19.5% are overweight. Both conditions Kazakhstan and increase in fuel prices. are due mainly to a lack of diverse diet, nutrition knowledge • Major structural issues remain including: lack of access and lack of access to food because of high food prices. Focus on most the food insecure zones – August 2010 Percentage of food insecure households • poorly diversified food consumption (cereals, tea and some fruits) in rural Tajikistan* • high food prices as main shock and loss or delay of potato harvest Zone 17 - due to heavy rains August Jirgatol • few assets owned (few animals) and 67% of budget is spent on 2010 Rasht food February Tojikobod • 97% do not have sufficient stocks for the coming months 2010 • lowest estimated monthly income (371 TJS-$83/month/family) October • poorly diversified food consumption (cereals, tea and some fruits) 2009 • 1/3 of the mothers/care takers report often not meeting food July 2009 Zone 13 - needs of their children • loss or delay of potato harvest due to heavy rains (main income), Nurobod lack access to drinking and irrigation water. The main sources of April 2009 Roghun income have become daily wage labor and begging/borrowing Tavildara • few assets (86% own no livestock) sold in past 3 months to cope January with difficult situation 2009 • 93% of budget is spent on food and 91% have no food stocks October 2008 Zone 10 - • high food prices, main shock in the past 3 months Ghonchi, • main sources of income are remittances (for 50%of the house- April 2008 Rasulov holds), daily unskilled labor and sales of crops Shahristan • low estimated monthly income (600 TJS-$135/month/household), 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Zafarobod poor food consumption lacking proteins *Among the 700 to 900 households interviewed Outlook for the coming months (August to No- One fourth of the households in the sample had vember) a reduced access to drinking water over the past 3 months. A major part of the problem was that - Livestock and good harvest combine to maintain natural disasters destroyed irrigation system. Nev- an overall good food security in the country. House- ertheless, access to drinking water and irrigation is holds can rely on their own production and livestock also a structural problem that requires substantial (less diseases reported) to meet their food needs investments in the coming years. and to accumulate income and stocks for the com- Unusually high food prices still represent the main ing winter. Nonetheless, some areas of the country threat to households’ food security (33% of the have had a less productive harvests and the situ- households interviewed). Households also men- ation should be closely monitored in parts of the tioned that high fuel prices and transport costs (also Rasht Valley, Sughd and in the Fayzobod district. due to the new toll road in certain areas) were a - Fuel prices have continued to increase and despite major constraint to their access to food markets Fighting Hunger Worldwide negotiations between the Tajik and Russian govern- both for acquiring and selling food. Natural disas- ments, it is unlikely that the situation will change in ters, mainly due to excessive rains between May the coming months. As high food prices remain the and July also created pockets of food insecurity main issue for the food access of rural households, pushing borderline food insecure households into it will be important to continue monitor prices in deeper food insecurity in Asht, GBAO (Bartang Val- theWorld coming months, Food especially Programme in zones with a low ley), Ayni, Rasht and some parts of Khatlon such as harvest. Kulyab. - Expenditures on staple foods continue to take the On the positive side, less households mentioned loss bulkSchool of disposable income Feeding due to high wheat pricesin Tajikistanof income and animal diseases (unlike last year at in the market. Prices for fruits, vegetables and ani- the same period). mal products will continue to be at their lowest and allow households to diversify their food intake. As Coping strategies† the winter nears, households in remote areas will To respond to chronic and seasonal problems and start stocking essential products such as wheat and in order to maintain an acceptable food security potatoes, increasing their foodThe expenditures.WFP School Feeding Tradi- status, householdsbaked withengaged WFP mainlyfortified in thewheat coping tionally, expenditures on healthprogramme also increase is designed in the to supportstrategies highlightedflour. below: winter. children’s access to education Main coping strategies - February to August 2010 - Daily wage labor opportunitiesand to will improve continue girls’ to high school100% Studies show that improving provide more seasonal income. The sales of crops, orchard produces, livestockcompletion and agricultural rates inprod rural- Tajikistan nutrition can help increase students’ ucts will contribute to the food security of house- 80% attention span and alertness, and holds who own these assets.WFP’s Others School will benefitFeeding programme enhance their opportunities for from September to Novemberin Tajikistan from the increasebegan in 1999,in initially60% personal development, which can in remittances. - Food consumption should reachingremain higher 5,000 thanschoolchildren in in turn helps reduce poverty for their 40% other seasons as householdsthe have northern an easy Sughd access region. Today, family, community and country. to fruits and vegetables. It WFPis expected feeds approximately nonetheless 360,000 to remain low and poorly diversifiedprimary schoolfor poor children fami- 20%and Just 14 U.S. cents a day will provide lies and households living in remote areas. staff in around 2,000 schools. These each child with a hot nutritious 0% Shocks* figures represent approximately 60 meal -- a small investment when The main shocks over the pastpercent three of monthschildren are in Grades 1 to 4 considering the significant long- credit and and food food on Seek Increase migrants meals Purchase linked to agriculture: lack of irrigation and harvest sizeof relatives in rural, food-insecure regions. preferred term benefits of a better educated expensive alternative Relyon less fromfriends Borrow food employment failure. Natural disasters in several areas of the population. Limitportion country, wiped out fields, carried off livestock, col- lapsed houses and washed awayEvery topday soilthey irrigation. are in school, Compared the to February and July 2009, households Water remains a major problemchildren despite are served high spring a hot mealrely more onWith altering an average their food of two consumption, children per on their family and on credit to cope with difficult situ- precipitations. Unusually highconsisting levels of of crop a soup pests made with family benefiting from WFP’s School ations than on reducing less essential expenditures and diseases are also to be beans,noted enrichedin Pendjakent, cooking oil, Feeding, families save up to U.S. Ayni, Asht and Turzunsoda. Other areas (Sughd and (transport, clothes, events) and sending migrants DRD close to Dushanbe) reportediodized locusts salt and, as usually, a main vegetables abroad. As a $25result, per almostyear per half child of orthe around families inter- issue for their crops/pasturesprovided (Ministry by Parentof Agricul Teacher- viewed are taking10 percent new debtsof households’ and the foodCoping Strat- egy Index shows no improvement overall. ture estimated 100,000 ha Associationsaffected). (PTAs). The soup is expenditures. School Feeding not accompanied by traditional bread only contributes to children’s * Shocks are defined by an event that has a negative impact on food and nutrition security. Shocks can be natural or caused by † The coping strategy index takes into account the frequency of human action use of the most harmful coping