1 June 2012, Rome - FAO and Sweden’s International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) have signed a $10.8 million Contribution Agreement aimed at improving the quality of FAO’s assistance to distressed populations in several high-priority countries and regions.

The two-year agreement, signed on 24 May, will help FAO carry out projects in Chad, the Niger, Somalia, Ethiopia, Syria and North Korea as well contribute to two regional projects in the Sahel and Central and Eastern Africa.

Per Byman, Head of the Sida Division for Humanitarian Assistance, expressed his satisfaction with the agreement:  “Sida is a strong supporter of this programme approach which links crisis intervention to improved outcomes for the affected people. This partnership will help FAO to put into place the mechanisms to support vulnerable populations before, during and after emergencies” he said.

Key aspects of the agreement include support to FAO’s ongoing decentralization of emergency operations. The Organization will strengthen its capacities in areas such as needs assessment, gender, accountability to affected populations and risk management. At the same time, it will reinforce FAO’s focus on preparedness, response and sustained recovery.

“We are exceedingly proud that Sida is supporting this innovative approach which joins country, regional and global issues in one coherent programme. This will allow us to accelerate our efforts to target people at the key points of need and deliver assistance to them more effectively. We will encourage other donors to support the same vision” said Laurent Thomas, FAO Assistant Director-General for Technical Cooperation.