Emergency Market Mapping and Analysis Toolkit

In August and September 2008, Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere was struck by three tropical storms. 86,000 people are now living in temporary shelters. Livelihoods and crops have been destroyed, and the entire road system has been severely damaged. This study was a pilot of the nascent EMMA approach with the dual purpose of better understanding critical market systems (beans and timber) for the population affected by the cyclones and gaining learning that could be used to improve the toolkit itself. The report recommends the direct purchase of timber from regional traders for delivery to beneficiary sites. It may be worth investigating a voucher-system instead of an in-kind distribution, which would need to be supported with trader transportation of timber directly to their households. Also recommended is additional research and cross-checking with the Shelter Cluster, government stakeholders and affected communities. Recommendations for the bean market system include cash-based interventions to increase the purchasing power of target beneficiaries; the provision of local and/or well-adapted bean seeds to farmers in time for agricultural production for the next season and supporting them with vegetable nurseries; the supply of credit to farmers to restore productive assets/infrastructure; the supply of credit to wholesalers whose stores were destroyed; market support activities to improve market system performance and monitoring and phase out of food aid activities.

Of the four major provinces affected by the monsoon floods in 2010, Sindh was the worst in numbers of people impacted and displaced. Over 30% of the more than 7.2 million flood-affected people in Sindh have been temporarily displaced, and planting for next year’s wheat crop is likely to be delayed. This report summarizes the findings of an inter-agency assessment team that looked at the impact of the devastating monsoon floods of 2010 on market systems in Sindh, Pakistan. Wheat flour, livestock fodder, agricultural labor, and bamboo/timber poles markets were selected for the assessment. The overall objective of the response options for the agricultural commodities is to restore the income of small farmers and agricultural laborers and strengthen their role in agricultural production and recovery. For the shelter materials, the objective is to support the repair and/or replacement of flood-damaged houses through local market systems, by promoting disaster-resistant construction technologies.

In June 2010, the Central Asian state of Kyrgyzstan experienced ethnic violence and rapid displacement in the southern districts bordering Uzbekistan following the ousting of the country's president in April. This EMMA assessment focused on early recovery needs for four selected critical markets, including corrugated galvanized iron (CGI), which is one of the most important building materials needed for reconstruction of homes and businesses damaged or destroyed in June. Following the crisis, the CGI market system is still functioning, but at reduced capacity. This report concludes that the CGI market system is healthy enough to not warrant direct intervention from the international community. This report recommends that NGOs dealing with shelter to identify processors and retailers able to absorb increased demand. It is recommended that CGI used in reconstruction be of domestic origin and purchased in the Kyrgyz market. The shelter cluster and other coordinating bodies are encouraged to provide strategic oversight and policy parameters for the purchasing of CGI for reconstruction anticipated in the coming months.

In June 2010, the Central Asian state of Kyrgyzstan experienced ethnic violence and rapid displacement in the southern districts bordering Uzbekistan following the ousting of the country's president in April. This EMMA assessment focused on early recovery needs for four selected critical markets, including wheat flour, and the impact of humanitarian aid to date on the local market. Following the June crisis, the wheat flour market has suffered several broken linkages, price spikes, and shortages of stock that are concerning for the near future. This report recommends the following humanitarian responses: (1) cash distributions to the most affected farmers; (2) development of a public information system for crops and markets; (3) vouchers for bakers, retailers and/or vulnerable households; (4) cash for work for farmers to clear irrigation and other farm systems, and crews to clean up markets and businesses; and (5) advocacy for the Kyrgyz government to purchase a certain volume of wheat from farmers.