FAO drives emergency production response to protect food security for 20,000 people in Honduras' Dry Corridor

With funding from the Regional Humanitarian Fund for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is implementing an emergency response aimed at saving lives and protecting the livelihoods of 4,000 vulnerable households in the departments of Choluteca, Valle, and Comayagua, in Honduras' Dry Corridor.

These actions are part of the joint multisectoral strategy led by the United Nations and humanitarian partners, made possible through funding from the Humanitarian Fund, which has allocated 63.2 million dollars to Honduras under the Humanitarian Action Plan of the Honduras Humanitarian Network, to provide coordinated assistance to populations in humanitarian need.

The intervention responds to the acute food insecurity facing families during the critical months of water scarcity and amid the impacts of hydrometeorological events, when many have exhausted their reserves and are resorting to negative coping strategies.

Immediate response to save lives

With an investment of 2.15 million dollars, the project "Immediate response to save lives through emergency food production" quickly restores families' capacity to access food and reduces the risk of further deterioration during the critical months of scarcity. The initiative will run for six months and will directly benefit 20,000 people in territories affected by droughts, climate variability, and deteriorating food security conditions, based on the priorities set out in the 2026 Humanitarian Action Plan of the Honduras Humanitarian Network. The beneficiaries live in the municipalities of Marcovia, El Triunfo, and Choluteca, in the department of Choluteca; Nacaome, in Valle; and Comayagua, in the department of Comayagua.

"Families in the Dry Corridor face growing challenges in producing food and sustaining their livelihoods, putting their food security and well-being at risk. This response will provide immediate support to address urgent needs, save lives, and prevent the situation from worsening in the face of future climate crises," said Fátima Espinal, FAO Representative in Honduras.

Direct assistance and livelihood protection

The intervention will be implemented under the Cash+ approach, combining direct cash assistance with productive support to address immediate needs. Under this framework, 4,000 households will receive a one-time cash transfer to cover immediate food needs; 3,500 households will receive agricultural kits; 660 households will have access to irrigation systems; 600 households will receive materials to build family poultry coops; and 1,750 households will be supported with livestock inputs.

The intervention will also provide key support in animal health, with vaccination campaigns and veterinary assistance that will help protect close to 49,000 animals, essential for families' food and income.

In addition, 20 community grain banks will be strengthened, benefiting 1,000 additional households and helping to stabilize food access during the lean season.

Protection and accountability approach

The project incorporates cross-cutting approaches to protection, inclusion, and accountability to affected populations, promoting the participation of women, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups, as well as community-based mechanisms for information, feedback, and complaints.

A comprehensive action

This humanitarian assistance, driven by funding from the Regional Humanitarian Fund for Latin America and the Caribbean, is part of a collective humanitarian response coordinated through the 2026 Humanitarian Action Plan, led by the United Nations within the framework of the Honduras Humanitarian Network.

Through this comprehensive action, the Humanitarian Fund for Honduras will benefit more than 760,000 people across 33 municipalities in Honduras, with the work of seven United Nations agencies — FAO, WFP, UNICEF, UNHCR, IOM, PAHO, and UNOPS — and two international NGOs, CARE and GOAL.

"In a context marked by recurring droughts, loss of livelihoods, and depletion of food reserves, acting in a timely manner is essential to save lives and prevent more families from falling into critical levels of acute food insecurity," Espinal concluded.

About the Regional Humanitarian Fund for Latin America and the Caribbean (RHPF LAC)

The Regional Humanitarian Fund for Latin America and the Caribbean (RHPF LAC) is one of the newest regional humanitarian funds of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The Fund is a multi-donor mechanism that finances timely, coordinated, and principled humanitarian responses in contexts of persistent need across the region. It is designed to complement other sources of humanitarian funding, such as bilateral funding and the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).

About the Humanitarian Network in Honduras

The Humanitarian Country Team, known as the Humanitarian Network, is led by the Permanent Commission for Contingencies (COPECO) and the United Nations System in Honduras, and is made up of more than 60 national and international humanitarian organizations working in a coordinated manner to support the response to humanitarian needs in the country.