Strengthening food and nutrition security of targeted households and communities vulnerable to climate change hazards, marginalization and

Caritas International's program for Ethiopia seeks to strengthen food and nutrition security of 3,734 households and 7 communities (41,084 people) in 2 districts in Eastern and Southeastern Tigray (Irob and Enderta) which are vulnerable to climate change hazards, marginalization and distress migration. The program addresses two main target groups. First, poor, food insecure smallholders will increase and diversify their crop and livestock production and income by engaging in innovative, climate-smart (irrigated) crop agriculture and animal husbandry and by organizing themselves in farmer groups and cooperatives to improve their market access. Second, landless and marginalized households as well as unemployed youth will acquire vocational and entrepreneurial skills enabling them to find employment or to engage in sustainable income generating activities. Proper food utilization is promoted by enhancing access to potable water (construction and/or rehabilitation of water points) and by nutrition, sanitation and hygiene education. The sustainability of food and nutrition security gains will depend upon fulfilling three major conditions. First, environmental rehabilitation and conservation must be ensured, for which the program supports communities in rehabilitating, stabilizing and managing degraded watersheds. Second, households' and individuals' access to financial services must be improved, for which grassroots savings and credit institutions are strengthened. Third, young men and women and their families must be empowered to make informed decisions about migration, which the program promotes by enhancing target groups' knowledge and information on regular and irregular migration. Synergy and complementarities are pursued among others with government line offices in general and with universities and technical schools for respectively livestock feed development and vocational skills training.