FOOD SECURITY IN KEBRIBEYAH WOREDA OF THE SOMALI REGION OF ETHIOPIA

Abstract

An understanding of the major causes of food security problems is important for interventions aiming at minimizing food insecurity. This study was conducted to measure food security status of households, to identify factors influencing rural households’ food security status and to find out the coping strategies that the households practice to withstand the situation. In order to achieve these objectives, 100 respondents were selected from four kebeles in Kebribeya Woreda namely Kaho,Gilo, Hare and Guyo Using probability to population size stratified random sampling technique. A survey was conducted to collect the primary data from sample respondents using an interview schedule. Secondary data were collected from various sources. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics like tables, mean, percentage and frequency distribution, standard deviation, percentage were used to describe characteristics of food secure and food insecure groups. The survey result showed that about (70%) of sample respondents were food insecure, while only (30%) were food secure. The determining factors of food security in the study area were age of the household head, sex of the household head, household size in AE, total cropping land in Ha, oxen ownership and remittances income in Birr. On the other hand, sale of livestock, borrowing cash or grain, reducing frequency and amount of meals served for the household members, selling of firewood and charcoal, and seasonal migration, were found to be more frequently practiced copping strategies by agro pastoralists of the study Woreda. Xiv

Finally, limiting population size through integrated health and education services, giving priority to old aged and female headed households in interventions, introduction of water harvesting technologies to practice intensified agriculture, controlling unfair market prices, opening money transferring agencies such as banks and micro finance institutions, and organizing the agro-pastoralists under associations in their respective areas and work in close collaboration with intervening agencies to have sustainable interventions and solutions with regard to food insecurity are some of the recommendations that the researcher recommend the concerned bodies in the region to undertake.