Executive Summary
Since 2008, instability and an uncertain security environment have had a profound effect on the people from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in Pakistan’s northwest resulting in large scale population displacement. As of December 2014, more than 1.5 million people displaced from FATA were living in Peshawar and nearby districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the neighboring province. The displacement that has occurred over the last several years has from time to time occurred in parallel to population movement back to the areas of origin in FATA. A sound understanding of the livelihood and food security of these already returned populations is of immense value for an evidence-based programmatic decision in support of returnee populations’ ability to pursue a sustainable pathway to stability and prosperity in their places of origin.
This study, which was jointly conducted by WFP, FAO and IRC, with input from the Food Security Cluster and support from FDMA, provides a comprehensive profile of livelihood and food security in FATA, and is deepened by findings from existing returnee populations collected during field surveys in six agencies – Bajaur, Khyber, Kurram, Mohmand, Orakzai and South Waziristan - in December 2014 to January 2015. The field surveys included interviews with 1,931 households, 39 key informants, 78 traders, and focus group discussions in 35 previously returned communities.
On average, surveyed families had lived in displacement for 1.7 years, and had resided in the homes where they were during this survey for an average of three years after their return from displacement.
Despite the significant length of time that many surveyed families had spent back in their areas of origin after returning, the study revealed a high level of concern for the general state of livelihood and food security among these households.
Major findings include the following:
• About 60 percent of households own agricultural land and 86 percent of them reported cultivating their land. However, productivity is very low with annual production sufficient for only 3.5 months on average.
Thus, households still require other sources of income and need to depend on local markets for most of their food needs. Agricultural production and livestock ownership is significantly lower than prior to displacement.
• Households largely depend on unstable and variable sources of income such as non-agricultural, unskilled daily labour, which don’t support resilience and leaves them vulnerable. Income from stable sources such as selling agricultural produce and livestock has reduced significantly compared to pre-displacement.
• Ownership of domestic and productive assets decreased significantly in the period between displacement and return; mean monthly expenditures are higher than income; and almost half of all households surveyed took on loans: 62 percent reported the need to meet household food needs as the main reason for taking a loan.
• Almost 90 percent of returnees are living in kacha houses, 52 percent are consuming unsafe drinking water, and less than a tenth are using any water purification system. Sanitation is a serious concern with 56 percent of men and 12 percent of women practicing open defecation.
• Returnee populations are vulnerable to food insecurity. Overall, 28 percent of households have acceptable food consumption, 18 percent have poor consumption, while a majority (54 percent) have borderline consumption. 44 percent of households suffer from a caloric consumption deficit, considering a minimum daily requirement of 2,100 Kcal per person. The quality of diet consumed is very poor with 52 percent of their total energy derived from wheat, and 63 percent from 3 staple cereals. 30 percent of households were relying on a consumption-based coping strategy and 45 percent on livelihoodbased coping strategies to meet their food needs.
• In spite of the remoteness, the main markets were functioning fairly well and food is generally available in most markets, and accessible for people with adequate purchasing power.
• Among the major assistance received, about 94 percent of households received food assistance after their return, 41 percent received nonfood items (NFIs), 40 percent had access to food for work programmes, 10 percent to cash for work programmes, and 18 percent received seed and fertilizer support to help restore agricultural livelihoods. The respondents believe the support provided was useful but inadequate.
• The worst food insecurity among the six agencies was found in Kurram and Khyber agencies with larger numbers of recent returnees who had arrived on average 1.1 and 1.6 years ago, respectively. By comparison, returnees in Bajaur and Mohmand, who returned more than 4 years ago, are relatively better off. Those in South Waziristan and Orakzai who returned on average between 3 and 4 years ago, fall somewhere in the middle in terms of food insecurity.
• Gender differences across socioeconomic situations, livelihoods and food security were clear from the analysis used in the study. Overall, 6 percent of the households were female headed. There was a large difference in education level between men and women, only one third of the heads of households had any education, while among female headed households this figure was only 15 percent, compared to 36 percent for males. 10 percent of females were without CNICs, but only 3.8% of males. Female headed households had worse food security indicators in terms of food consumption scores and caloric intake, and thus a higher proportion of these households had to resort to multiple and negative coping strategies. While there was general agreement that school feeding had no negative impact on women, significant protection concerns were raised during focus group discussions and key informant interviews regarding the need for women-only interventions, particularly in the areas of agriculture and asset creation activities.
• Food assistance, cash grants and support for housing were identified as the most important immediate needs for households. In the medium to long term, cash grants, food assistance and employment were the most important needs, followed by agriculture and livestock support. ey recommendations based on priority needs identified by households, communities, and analysis of the livelihood and food security situation, include the following:
1. Returnee populations are vulnerable to food insecurity and this is closely linked to livelihood. Hence food assistance, either through food-for-work or cash-for-work modalities, would be an important means to enhance their food security as well as to create durable assets and improve livelihoods.
2. Support to agriculture and livestock is key to helping households enhance their food production. Agricultural support should include provision of agricultural inputs (quality seeds and fertilizers, improvement of irrigation infrastructure and agricultural tools).
Livestock support should include shelter, medication, fodder/feed and water for animals.
3. Given that 60 percent of the population relies on agriculture as a source of livelihood, it is important to prioritize the revival and improvement of the agriculture sector in order to provide contextually appropriate support to livelihoods and food security.
4. Programmes to generate non-farm employment/livelihoods should also be implemented.
5. Support to rebuild houses is essential since most families are living in kacha houses.
6. Given the poor state of water and sanitation, programmes to improve access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation are crucial to enhance overall hygiene conditions and food utilization.
7. Improving health facilities and rehabilitating community infrastructure should be priorities for improving the overall living environment and creating access to services.
8. Given the poor state of education, it is important to have programmes to enhance education and awareness, particularly for women and girls. School feeding programmes, including education of adolescent girls are important.
9. Returnees in Kurram and Khyber agencies require more immediate assistance to improve their food security, followed by South Waziristan and Orakzai. Long term development programmes would be more appropriate for returnees in Bajaur and Mohmand.
10. In FATA’s context, gender and protection concerns should be incorporated during the design of any community level interventions.