A note published on the official website of this international body refers to the results of the recent visit to both Caribbean nations by a high-level mission, led by FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol.
The mission is aimed at promoting a coordinated approach to strengthen agriculture as a first-line humanitarian response in Haiti, as well as biosecurity, disaster preparation and market stability in the Dominican Republic, the document said.
In the Dominican Republic, the delegation focused on assessing actions for the protection of agri-food systems against transboundary animal diseases, climate risks and supply chain disruptions, as well as to boost trade and regional market integration.
The text states that, in the case of Haiti, the current crisis was assessed, with 5.7 million people facing high levels of acute food insecurity, while much of the rural population continues to depend on agriculture for their livelihoods.
FAO’s Emergency Food Production approach aims to enable highly vulnerable Haitian families to grow food in just 90 days, amid the crisis.
To consolidate these efforts, FAO is seeking $108 million to support 860,000 people in Haiti through emergency food production and livelihood protection.
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