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Labor (including agricultural labor)

Heavy rainfall beginning in July 2010 caused flooding in most districts in Pakistan, affecting 20 million people and destroying field crops. This assessment aimed to assist agencies in identifying appropriate program interventions and focused on the wheat seed, fodder and casual agricultural labor market systems in Punjab Province. For wheat seeds, this report recommends cash transfers to restore agricultural infrastructure; vouchers to ensure quality and appropriate agricultural inputs; support to extension services; and advocacy for land rights. For the casual agricultural labor market, this report recommends unconditional cash transfers; cash for work; income support for people unable to participate in cash for work programs; and income generating activities and vocational training. For the fodder market system, this report recommends cash for work to restore agricultural infrastructure for enabling normal seasonal employment patterns; vouchers for agricultural inputs; and advocacy around land rights.

Report authors: 
Caroline Ward
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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.

Report authors: 
Rick Bauer
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On January 12, 2010, an earthquake of 7.0 magnitude hit the island of Haiti, approximately 25 km west of Port au Prince. Up to 230,000 people died country-wide in the quake, and another 300,000 were injured. Approximately 800,000 have been displaced in Port au Prince, many of whom are living in spontaneous urban camps. This EMMA study focused on the construction labor market system in Port-au-Prince. Recommendations for demand-side responses include improving communication to the public on government support for rubble removal,property rights, building permits and zoning; improving access to credit for construction for both households and businesses; and building social housing. Supply-side responses recommended include NGO-run short-term skills trainings targeting future masons, carpenters and electricians; physical rehabilitation of training institutions; capacity building of management, faculty, and staff of training institutions; and organizing apprenticeships and facilitation of trainees' entry into the market. Finally, the report recommends a number of interventions intended to improve job placement services and improving construction-related laws and regulations.

Report authors: 
not specified
Download Report (1.16 MB pdf)

On January 12, 2010, an earthquake of 7.0 magnitude hit the island of Haiti, approximately 25 km west of Port au Prince. Up to 230,000 people died country-wide in the quake, and another 300,000 were injured. Approximately 800,000 have been displaced in Port au Prince, many of whom are living in spontaneous urban camps. This EMMA study focused on the construction labor market system in Port-au-Prince. Recommendations for demand-side responses include improving communication to the public on government support for rubble removal,property rights, building permits and zoning; improving access to credit for construction for both households and businesses; and building social housing. Supply-side responses recommended include NGO-run short-term skills trainings targeting future masons, carpenters and electricians; physical rehabilitation of training institutions; capacity building of management, faculty, and staff of training institutions; and organizing apprenticeships and facilitation of trainees' entry into the market. Finally, the report recommends a number of interventions intended to improve job placement services and improving construction-related laws and regulations.

Report authors: 
not specified
Download Report (180.35 KB pdf)

On January 12, 2010 a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti, killing an estimated 222,653 people and wounding an additional 310,000. The Sud-Est (Southeast) department was one of the worst hit areas. This assessment analyzes the market system for agricultural labor in the Sud-Est department of Haiti in March-April 2010. Recommended interventions include immediate cash-for-work projects to replace lost income for rural households; immediate interventions to ensure farmers have sufficient seeds and inputs to plant successfully; and longer-term interventions to stimulate rural employment opportunities and strengthen the agricultural sector.

Report authors: 
Laura Meissner, Karri Goeldner Byrne, Georges Pierre-Louis, Tim Schwartz, Molière Peronneau and Gardy Letang
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On January 12, 2010 a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti, killing an estimated 222,653 people and wounding an additional 310,000. The Sud-Est (Southeast) department was one of the worst hit areas. This assessment analyzes the market system for agricultural labor in the Sud-Est department of Haiti in March-April 2010. Recommended interventions include immediate cash-for-work projects to replace lost income for rural households; immediate interventions to ensure farmers have sufficient seeds and inputs to plant successfully; and longer-term interventions to stimulate rural employment opportunities and strengthen the agricultural sector.

Report authors: 
Laura Meissner, Karri Goeldner Byrne, Georges Pierre-Louis, Tim Schwartz, Molière Peronneau and Gardy Letang
Download Report (326.4 KB pdf)

The number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon is expected to exceed one million by the end of 2013. Tensions between host and refugee populations are expected to rise as competition over jobs and resources becomes even more important to the survival of both communities. This EMMA assessment was launched to analyze the key market systems upon which refugees and vulnerable host communities rely for income in the North and Bekaa Governorates of Lebanon in order to identify opportunities for humanitarian agencies to promote market-based income-earning possibilities for host and refugee populations. The conflict in Syria and subsequent influx of refugees into Lebanon have had significant impacts on local agricultural labor markets. This assessment recommends linking WFP's food voucher program to local farmers; providing alternative income sources through market strengthening cash for work activities; providing support to small farmers in accessing agricultural inputs; and conducting further research into the feasibility of supporting household-level food processing.

Report authors: 
Not specified
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The Syrian conflict and violent conflicts within Iraq have related in the movement of almost one million Syrian refugees and Iraqi IDPs into Kurdistan in recent years. The Danish Refugee Council commissioned this EMMA in order to assess opportunities in livelihoods generation and access to income for Syrian refugees and IDPs living in and outside of camps, in order to inform its livelihoods programming. The influx of refugees and IDPs has increased pressure on the labor market in KRI. This is exacerbated by a drop in demand for construction due to conflicts between the KRI and the central Iraqi governments and a drop in demand for hospitality services due to insecurity in the region and the relative economic standstill. Though many NGOs are offering humanitarian assistance and cash for work programs to the target population, these interventions are of relatively low economic benefit to beneficiaries and are not a long-term solution. This assessment recommends the following responses in order to improve access to labor markets and income generation for Syrian refugees and Iraqi IDPs: improved efforts to target IDPs and refugees in non-camp settings with humanitarian assistance; raising the target groups' awareness of locally available jobs and building their capacity to find decent jobs; promoting job placement mechanisms; partnering with private sector actors to invest in potentially valuable value chains; promoting innovation in small enterprises; conducting market analyses on access to credit for small businesses and on agriculture and related labor; and advocating with humanitarian actors for a phase-out of short-term interventions.

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Report authors: 
Emmeline Saint
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Incessant rain in the upper Himalayas in mid-June 2013 resulted in a series of cloudburst, landslides, and floods in northern India, with the biggest impacts in Uttarakhand State. Landslides and flash floods led to damaged roads, collapsed bridges, huge loss of life and property, as well as numbers of pilgrims stranded at famous shrine areas. Christian Aid's emergency response team carried out this EMMA assessment of the rice and tourism market systems in the two worst-affected districts of Uttarakhand shortly after the crisis to help shape its immediate response strategies. Both market systems were severely affected by the floods due to both supply and demand side constraints. This EMMA recommends a combination of cash transfers to affected households to ensure access to food items, cash or food for work programs to help rebuild essential infrastructure, identifying and addressing key blockages in supply chains, further development of agriculture, livestock-based and alternative livelihoods strategies for area households and the improvement of early warning prediction and communication systems.

Report authors: 
Yeeshu Shukla, Shakeb Nabi, Apar Paudyal
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Grand Gedeh County
April, 2011

Since early March 2011, at least 57,000 refugees fleeing fighting and instability in Côte d’Ivoire have been crossing the border into Liberia and have become concentrated along the border and the main road in Grand Gedeh County. In the affected villages, already-limited food and seed stocks are being depleted, meaning that without assistance many farmers will not be able to plant in time for the next harvest. Oxfam undertook a market assessment of the rice and agricultural labor markets to define the most appropriate response and modalities to address emergency needs. The report offers the following recommendations: for vulnerable small farmers,a combination of rice vouchers, a once-off cash grant and seeds and tools package for targeted households; for refugees, a combined approach of in-kind distribution and cash transfers to allow them to meet their basic needs and support their livelihoods through investing in small income generating activities; and for refugees who want or have already started to farm, an additional distribution of seeds and tools. In addition, assessments of the imported rice and agricultural labor markets should be replicated in other areas affected by the refugee influx; the imported rice and agricultural labor markets should be monitored in order to evaluate the impact of the humanitarian assistance and adapt the response accordingly; and market value chain assessments should be extended to other key commodities such as seeds, hygiene items and other food items.

Report authors: 
Nanthilde Kamara, Emily Henderson
Download Report (1.42 MB pdf)

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