“Despite gains, the complexity and volume of crises means that many people still do not receive the assistance and protection they need, while others may be trapped in a humanitarian holding pattern that offers no clear path to better their circumstances.”

Direct Link to Full 94-Page 2016 Publication:

http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/HEStudy_20151109_Small.pdf

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

As of July 2015, an estimated 114 million people in assessed countries were in need of humanitarian assistance, compared to 40 million just over ten years ago.1 Needs are not only growing, but their drivers and time horizons have also changed: most people in crisis live in contexts of fragility, where existing vulnerabilities due to causes like poverty, food insecurity and exclusion are compounded by conflict and violence, intensifying natural disasters, and unplanned urbanization. The international humanitarian system2 was set up to address exceptional circumstances, but for people in these environments, crises and insecurity are the norm. Cycles of conflict and disasters are displacing millions, leaving people vulnerable and in need of humanitarian action for decades, and in some cases, for generations.

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THE COST OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY IN MALAWI, TANZANIA & UGANDA

Authors/editor(s): UN Women, the United Nations Development Programme–United Nations Environment Programme Poverty-Environment Initiative Africa, and the World Bank

Direct Link to Full 42-Page 2015 Report:

http://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2015/10/the-cost-of-argricultural-productivity

Women form a large proportion of the agricultural labour force in Sub-Saharan Africa and thus play a vital role in ensuring family nutrition and food security. In Eastern and Southern Africa, agriculture continues to be a key engine for local and regional economies, represents a critical source of income and ensures food security and nutrition. However, as has been widely documented, gender-based inequalities in access to and control of productive and financial resources inhibit agricultural productivity and reduce food security. A new study measuring the economic costs of the gender gap in agricultural productivity in three African countries—Malawi, the United Republic of Tanzania (hereafter Tanzania), and Uganda— provides further evidence that reducing the gender gap plays a significant role in poverty reduction and improved nutritional outcomes.

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