“Come in, come in. I’ll show you our chickens,” invites Tetiana with shining eyes. “I made a saddle for them here, a drinking place. And they usually sleep in this coop.” She lives one kilometer from the “contact line” in the east of Ukraine. She bred chickens before the conflict, growing broilers for sale, and now she is engaged in livestock activities again, but under daily shelling. There is also a small garden near the house where a variety of vegetables and fruits are grown.
Tetiana’s family is one of 3 130 vulnerable families in the 5-km zone along the contact line who received FAO agricultural support. As part of United Nations emergency support, FAO has delivered 330 tons of livestock feed and 27 900 of one-day-old dual-purpose chickens, which can be raised either for meat or eggs.
The five-year conflict has had a severe impact on the economic situation in eastern Ukraine. More than a million people in the region are malnourished and have limited access to quality food. Due to loss of income and lack of livelihood opportunities, the vulnerable population is increasingly forced to buy food on credit. The primary source of food for rural families is what they can produce themselves or what they receive from international organizations, as their access to agricultural land is limited due to mine contamination.
Tetiana’s son died a week before the conflict started. Thus two pensioners were left alone with their daughter-in-law and grandchildren, and Tetiana’s elderly mother moved to their house as well. They couldn’t afford to leave the area.
Tetiana received 30 chickens and breeds them with a high sense of responsibly: she arranged a place in the barn, provided warmth, and added vitamins to the feed. A place in the yard was equipped with hardware mesh that will keep out predators, such as large birds and cats.