The deadly epidemic is disrupting rural economies, agricultural activities and markets in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the FAO says.
Early results from rapid assessments point to a worrisome situation, it says. In Sierra Leone 47% of the respondents said Ebola was considerably disrupting their farming activities. In Lofa county, the most affected rural county in Liberia, the prices of commodities, including food, increased from 30 to 75% just in August 2014.
It has just launched a new programme to urgently assist 90,000 vulnerable households in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone whose food supplies and livelihoods are threatened by the disruptive effect on farming activities.
The Regional Response Programme for West Africa will scale-up the work FAO is currently doing with governments, United Nations partners and local networks of agriculture, veterinary and forestry workers, to help stop the spread of the disease, meet immediate and long-term food and nutrition security needs and build resilience.
FAO is urgently calling for $30 million to support activities linked to the programme over the next 12 months. Programme activities are organised around four key objectives:
• stopping the spread of the disease through social mobilisation, training and awareness raising;
• boost incomes and agricultural production to safeguard livelihoods;
• build resilience of communities to disease threats; and
• strengthen coordination for improved response.
"Our comprehensive response is part of overall United Nations efforts to save lives and protect livelihoods," says Vincent Martin, head of the FAO's office coordinating its response. "We're following a twin-track approach to help our United Nations partners halt the tragic loss of life while at the same time protecting incomes, nutrition levels and food security."
Activities boosting food and cash crops, livestock and fisheries production, introducing microfinance strategies to safeguard rural incomes; and setting up early warning and response systems to reduce Ebola risks at the human-animal interface.
Bukar Tijani of the Regional Office for Africa says fear and stigmatisation could threaten to reduce agricultural activities, thereby placing food security at risk.
If not addressed now, the current impact of the outbreak on livelihoods could lead to long-lasting impacts on farmers' livelihoods and rural economies.
