Tufts – Feinstein International Center

This brief reviews how farming, agro-pastoralist, and pastoralist livelihood systems in Darfur are permanently changing in response to these major changes and in the face of ever-increasing pressure on natural resources.

This brief summarizes the seasonal patterns of acute malnutrition and differences in seasonal patterns and possible drivers for boys and girls in the Goz Beida Region of eastern Chad.

This brief summarizes the seasonal patterns of acute malnutrition and its key drivers in the Goz Beida Region of Chad.

This study found that there is a relatively small overlap between people deemed the most influential and the elected committee members of self-organizing groups.

Sometimes a group of people within a community exist somewhat separately. A clique is a subset of people within a larger group that has intense interaction within the subset but…

This brief explores the role of Neighbor Groups and Lead Mothers in supporting parents to care for their children in Budikaki.

The Budikadidi program struggled to reach the most vulnerable people through mainstream activities. However, when the program created groups specifically adapted to the unique needs and limitations of the most vulnerable, these people were able to participate and benefit from the program.

This field report provides an up to date information about the issues affecting the relationships between different users of natural resources within the changing context of Darfur.

This brief reviews farming and pastoralist livelihood systems to highlight their evolving and overlapping tenure regimes. The learning brief series aims to promote awareness and understanding of natural resource use and management in Darfur to support the Taadoud II program and wider programs and policies to effectively build resilient livelihoods.

This paper contributes to the dialogue on methodological options by exploring the utility of applying Qualitative Comparative Analysis using fuzzy sets (fsQCA) for understanding complex causality and the conditions that support resilience in humanitarian contexts.

This is the third in a series of three briefing papers that form part of the Mind the Gap: Bridging the Research, Policy, and Practice Divide to Enhance Livelihood Resilience…

This is the second in a series of three briefing papers that form part of the Mind the Gap: Bridging the Research, Policy, and Practice Divide to Enhance Livelihood Resilience…

This paper examines the parallel but separate trajectories of peace-building, transformation, and livelihood recovery in northern (Acholi and Lango sub-regions) and northeastern (Karamoja sub-region) Uganda over the past 15 years….

This paper synthesizes findings from four studies on youth migration and resilience in different urban contexts. This work emerges from a collaboration between Save the Children US (Save US) and…

This study explores how Eritrean migrants’ different journeys influence their resilience capabilities and overall well-being in Kampala.

This study focuses on the financial and social impact of rural-urban migration on young men engaged in the platform economy in Bengaluru, India.

This report presents findings on the experiences and aspirations of male and female youth as they interact with the economic and aid systems in the Karamoja sub-region of Uganda. This…

This report reflects findings from the baseline quantitative study of a four-year research project in the Karamoja sub-region of Uganda. We describe different aspects of wealth, such as animal-related wealth…

This publication presents a literature review activities in covering topics related to the natural environment and natural resource management in the Darfur region. This desk review serves as a foundation and reference for the NRM field studies and series of briefs, as part of the Taadoud II program, as well as supporting the development of training materials.

This study reviews the different types of alternative livelihoods available to pastoralist households in the Afar region of Ethiopia and makes recommendations for interventions to improve household resilience.

أظهرت الدراسات السابقة أنّ التنقل الذي يمارسه الرعاة يوفر مزايا كبيرة في الأراضي الجافة من خلال تمكين قطعان الماشية من الوصول إلى الرعي الأفضل جودة على مدار العام. تواجه أنماط…

This working paper presents findings on the migration of youth from Acholi, Uganda to the urban areas of Gulu and Pabbo in northern Uganda, and to the Acholi Quarter neighborhood in Kampala.

Earlier studies have shown that pastoralist mobility offers significant advantages in drylands by enabling herds to access the best-quality grazing over the course of a year. These patterns of mobility face many…

Cette étude est une contribution à la compréhension de la dynamique pastorale-agricole dans le Dar Sila, en relation avec son environnement naturel, social et économique. L’étude était initialement destinée à…

This briefing paper examines alcohol brewing and consumption in Karamoja, Uganda from the health and economic perspectives.

This report investigates food security resilience in Far-Western Nepal.

This study is a contribution to the understanding of pastoralism-farming dynamics in Dar Sila, in relation to their natural, social, and economic environment.

The executive summary of a study that contributes to the understanding of pastoralism-farming dynamics in Dar Sila, in relation to their natural, social, and economic environment.

Cette étude est une contribution à la compréhension de la dynamique pastorale-agricole dans le Dar Sila, en relation avec son environnement naturel, social et économique. L’étude était initialement destinée à…

In partnership with Mercy Corps, Feinstein researchers undertook this work to understand why some households are managing the devastating impacts of war better than others.

This synthesis paper reviews Feinstein’s research and focuses on the increasing socioeconomic differentiation in selected pastoralist areas, and the implications in terms of pathways to resilience.

This briefing paper reviews a full synthesis of Feinstein’s research on pastoralism and focuses on the increasing socioeconomic differentiation in selected pastoralist areas, and the implications in terms of pathways to resilience.

Resilience is defined as the ability of people to mitigate, weather, and “bounce back” from shocks or adversity. This definition is framed in terms of understanding capacities and risk—often particularly…

This is a briefing paper of the full report. Resilience is defined as the ability of people to mitigate, weather, and “bounce back” from shocks or adversity. This definition is…

This fifth year report examines key areas of change in Karamoja over the past five years to inform development programming decisions.

This report presents a series of challenges to conventional thinking around livelihood recovery for war-affected populations.

This publication explores the evolution of the “livelihoods approach” to development and humanitarian assistance.

This report synthesizes findings on livelihoods from research projects that took place over five years in eight countries affected by fragility and conflict as part of the Secure Livelihoods Research Consortium (SLRC).

Livelihood systems in Darfur have experienced massive shocks and extreme changes over the past two decades. Though most communities are making positive progress, their recovery from multiple shocks over the…

Livelihood systems in Darfur have experienced massive shocks and extreme changes over the past two decades. Though most communities are making positive progress, their recovery from multiple shocks over the…

In Sudan, the El Ingaz paved road now connects Darfur to Central Sudan. The road was built in stages, with the critical stage between El Fashir and Central Sudan completed…

This is an evidence brief, accompanying the full systematic review on the impact of in-kind food assistance on pastoralist livelihoods in humanitarian emergencies.

This evidence synthesis represents the first ever attempt to identify, synthesize and evaluate existing evidence on both the short- and long-term impacts of in-kind food assistance on pastoralist populations and their livelihoods in humanitarian crises.

This protocol outlines plans for conducting an evidence synthesis on the impact of food aid on pastoralist livelihoods.

This protocol outlines the proposed research questions and methodology for an evidence synthesis on the influence of market support interventions on household food security in humanitarian crises.

This report describes exactly how shocks have affected specific livelihood groups in Darfur, the extent to which people have been able successful at recovering their self-sufficiency, and why.

Through a case study in Uganda’s second largest town, Lira, the research sets out to examine what the dynamics of young people’s work look like.

Through a case study of one recently redeveloped marketplace in northern Uganda, this study sets out to shed some light on what happens when attempts to modernize and formalize economic activity come into contact with the local realities of how trading, power and politics actually work

This report describes the results of an impact assessment on Concern Worldwide’s program in eastern Chad aimed at reducing malnutrition.

This is the French version of the report, Water, Livestock, and Malnutrition: Findings from an Impact Assessment.

This briefing paper recommends a rethink in the way that aid actors approach questions of recovery and livelihood. Rather than a simplistic either/ or approach, what is needed is a much more localized and deeper analysis of conflict, inter-communal grievances and inter-communal relations.

This report investigates the practice of pastoralism in Sudan. The authors delineate migration patterns and rationales as well as market strategies, and also offer recommendations for policymakers and service providers interacting with any community that includes pastoralists.

This report reviews the state of animal-based livelihoods in the Karamoja region of northeastern Uganda and examines how animal ownership affects a household’s ability to weather shocks.

In 2013 Sierra Leone ranked among the ten nations with the highest rates of teenage pregnancy in the world. If the Government of Sierra Leone’s renewed National Strategy for the Reduction of Teenage Pregnancy is to succeed, a more contextually tailored approach is needed. This report makes five recommendations.

The Sahel rarely makes headlines. Until the early 2000s, it was on the margins of geopolitical interest and of humanitarian action and debate. Today, the Sahel is on center stage…

This study complements the larger Secure Livelihoods Research Consortium Uganda survey by providing deeper insight into processes of recovery in northern Uganda. It focuses on: The nature of ‘livelihood recovery’…

This scoping study explores the resilience strategies of households in multiple livelihood systems by describing how households in Darfur have coped with conflict and other shocks over the past fifteen…

This study provides a nuanced understanding of the transformation of violence for women, men, girls and boys in northern Karamoja at the household, community, district and the regional levels. Drivers…

In 2011–12, Somalia experienced the worst famine of the twenty-first century. Since then, research on the famine has focused almost exclusively on the external response, the reasons for the delay…

This paper shows findings from a cross-country panel survey which took place in five conflict-affected countries: DRC, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Uganda. The aim of the survey was to…

This is an Arabic translation of an existing publication.

“This report is the third in a series of in-depth studies researching and analyzing the impact of conflict and associated factors on trade in Darfur’s main agricultural and livestock commodities….

This working paper examines the urban labor market in Lira, a large and expanding town in post-conflict northern Uganda.

In 2012, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), with inputs from SLRC, implemented the first round of an original sub-regional panel survey in South Sudan aimed to produce data…

After two reasonably good years of recovery, 2014 appears to be shaping up as a difficult year for Somalia. Donors and agencies are ringing alarm bells about deteriorating conditions. There…

This paper reviews large-scale humanitarian operations in South Sudan, focusing on what lessons can be learnt from Operation Lifeline Sudan (OLS). The paper is structured as follows: The first section…

Much of the literature on urbanization focuses on migration to large cities. In contrast, this report traces the process, challenges, and opportunities of rural-urban migration to towns and small cities…

On July 20, 2011, the UN declared a famine in South Central Somalia, which killed some 260,000 people (Checchi and Robinson 2013). Though Somalia was the worst affected country, the…

In 2012/13, the Secure Livelihoods Research Consortium (SLRC) implemented the first round of an original sub-regional panel survey in northern Uganda aimed to produce data on livelihoods, access to and…

In 2012/13, the Secure Livelihoods Research Consortium (SLRC) implemented the first round of an original sub-regional panel survey in northern Uganda aimed to produce data on livelihoods, access to and…

In 2012/13, the Secure Livelihoods Research Consortium (SLRC) implemented the first round of an original sub-regional panel survey in northern Uganda aimed to produce data on livelihoods, access to and…

In 2012/13, SLRC implemented the first round of an original sub-regional panel survey in Uganda aimed to produce data on livelihoods, access to and experience of basic services, exposure to…

This report is based on qualitative fieldwork conducted in Uror and Nyirol Counties, Jonglei State, South Sudan and a household survey conducted by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)…

The Feinstein International Center has been developing and adapting participatory approaches to measure the impact of livelihoods based interventions since the early nineties. Originally released in 2009, this updated version…

The violent political crisis that has engulfed South Sudan since mid-December 2013 has awakened the world to the fundamental lack of stability in the world’s newest country. Unfortunately, the situation…

This study on the trade of onions and tomatoes in Darfur explores trends in the production of and trade in onions and tomatoes during the conflict years, and the extent to which this is an area of current and potential growth.

This study explores the impact of a decade of conflict in Darfur on the trade in some of Darfur’s major cash crops. How has the cash crop trade adapted, and…

This is an Arabic translation of an existing publication. The full report is available (in English) here. Click here to read this briefing paper in English.

This report highlights the importance of pastoralist livestock mobility for the resilience of pastoralist livelihood systems and for maximising productivity. Tufts and partners monitored camel, sheep and cattle herds for…

This is the fourth in a series of Policy Briefing Papers which form part of the Environment and Livelihoods component of the UNEP Sudan Integrated Environment Programme, funded by UKAid…

Humanitarian assistance or safety net programs may be able to prevent mortality or reduce malnutrition in the face of shocks or crises, but households, their communities, and their institutions may…

Tufts University and the Feinstein International Center are pleased to announce the publication of a two part review of emergency livestock interventions in Sudan. Livestock production is a crucial livelihood…

Tufts University and the Feinstein International Center are pleased to announce the publication of a two part review of emergency livestock interventions in Sudan. Livestock production is a crucial livelihood…

This report documents the findings of a livelihoods assessment carried out as part of the USAID funded Growth, Health and Governance program being implemented by Mercy Corps and partners in…

According to the Hyogo Framework for Action, disasters affect over 200 million people annually, causing significant loss of lives, forced migration, and disruption of livelihoods and institutions. The trend over…

India’s efforts in grassroots finance have been dominated by a powerful form of savings and loan clubs. Self-Help Groups, or SHGs as they are called, nudge urban and rural poor…

This report highlights the importance of pastoralist livestock production for the country’s economy, and outlines ways in which pastoralism can be supported in the future, to benefit livelihoods and the…

This is the briefing paper for a larger report, “Standing Wealth: Pastoralist Livestock Production and Local Livelihoods in Sudan.” The report highlights the importance of pastoralist livestock production for the country’s…

This is an Arabic translation of an existing publication. Read the full report (in English) here. Click here to read this briefing paper in English.

This is the Arabic translation of a policy brief explores what has happened to the livestock trade in the greater Darfur region from 2003 to 2012, during the conflict.

This policy brief explores what has happened to the livestock trade in the greater Darfur region during nine years of conflict, since 2003.

Resilience is the ability of an individual, a household, a community or an institution to withstand a shock or setback of some type and recover, or “bounce back,” after a…

This study examines the evolution of customary authority among four population groups: the Jie, Dodoth, Matheniko, and Tepeth

This is a summary of a larger report, funded by Irish Aid Kampala, that examines the evolution of customary authority among four population groups: the Jie, Dodoth, Matheniko, and Tepeth.

Livestock is one of Darfur’s main economic assets and makes a major contribution to Sudan’s national livestock and meat exports. This report explores what has happened to the livestock trade…

Nepal is on the cusp of a major “transformation” from a relatively stable condition of reproduction of social and economic relations based on feudal and caste strictures to a more…

Migration from rural Karamoja to towns, cities and other rural areas has long been part of local livelihood strategies, but attention to this phenomenon by national and international actors in…

This paper summarizes the existing literature on livelihoods, basic services and social protection in South Sudan; presents a brief analysis of this literature, and lays out potential research questions for the Secure Livelihoods Research Consortium (SLRC).

The USAID funded PSNP Plus program ‘Linking Poor Rural Households to Microfinance and Markets in Ethiopia’ was launched in late 2008 and will run until December 2011. The PSNP Plus…

Access to productive rangeland has long been a critical issue affecting pastoralists in Ethiopia. In November 2011, the Feinstein International Center at Tufts University facilitated a review of a specific…

The USAID funded PSNP Plus program ‘Linking Poor Rural Households to Microfinance and Markets in Ethiopia’ was launched in late 2008 and will run until December 2011. The PSNP Plus…

Households in the Karamoja region of northeastern Uganda have seen a precipitous drop in access to and availability of animal milk in recent years. The declining milk supply affects livelihoods,…

In May 2011, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) formally launched the global Food Security Cluster (FSC) as the UN’s global mechanism for coordinating food…

The USAID funded PSNP Plus program ‘Linking Poor Rural Households to Microfinance and Markets in Ethiopia’ was launched in late 2008 and will run until December 2011. The PSNP Plus…

The USAID funded PSNP Plus program ‘Linking Poor Rural Households to Microfinance and Markets in Ethiopia’ was launched in late 2008 and will run until December 2011. The PSNP Plus…

What are the links between education and livelihoods in conflict affected areas of the Somali Region of Ethiopia? How can improved education provision contribute to strengthening livelihoods? The BRIDGES project…

Although pastoralists in Ethiopia are often characterized as unresponsive to market opportunities, the bulk of Ethiopia’s growing formal and informal livestock and meat exports are supplied from pastoralist areas of…

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) programs encompass many different kinds of activities, but share the fundamental objective of enhancing the capacity of vulnerable communities to identify, reduce and manage risk, whether…

This briefing paper is the first output from the LIVE project (Livelihoods, Insecurity and Value Chains Examination in Karamoja), a collaborative study with Save the Children in Uganda funded by…

Gode zone in the Somali National Regional State of Ethiopia is a remote area in the east of the country, characterized by marked under‐development and frequent humanitarian crises. In addition,…

This report presents the results from a baseline assessment of the PSNP Plus project in Sire and Dodota woreda’s in the Oromiya region of Ethiopia. These assessments are part of…

This joint publication by the Feinstein International Center and Save the Children in Uganda examines the perspectives and experiences of communities in the southern Karamoja region of Uganda regarding natural…

Savings and Chance, a study by a team from the Center for Emerging Market Enterprises (CEME) at the Fletcher School at Tufts University explores the ubiquity of gambling practices in…

The project Revitalizing Agricultural/Pastoral Incomes and New Markets (RAIN) is a three‐year project implemented by Mercy Corps and Save the Children UK (SCUK) in parts of Somali and Oromiya Regions…

This report on Darfur includes an assessment of the demand for microfinance and a review of the existing supply, as well as recommendations on how to close the gaps between demand and supply of microfinance.

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) programs encompass many different kinds of activities, but share the fundamental objective of enhancing the capacity of vulnerable communities to identify, reduce and manage risk, whether…

This report presents the findings of the first two stages of an assessment of the PSNP Plus project in Doba woreda in West Hararghe. These assessments are part of a…

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) programs encompass many different kinds of activities, but share the fundamental objective of enhancing the capacity of vulnerable communities to identify, reduce and manage risk, whether…

Increasing the Financial Resilience of Disaster-affected Populations is a desk review paper commissioned and supported by the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, USAID. One of the most significant problems facing…

This report examines the impact of a privatized, community-based veterinary service in the far northeast of Kenya, and focuses on the outcomes of clinical services provided by community-based animal health workers (CAHWs).

Support to the export of pastoralist livestock from the Horn of Africa is often viewed by aid organizations as a key poverty reduction strategy. Drawing on existing literature and field research in Ethiopia, Kenya and Sudan, this report examines if and how different wealth groups benefit from the export trade.

This report is the result of the first phase of a partnership with Save the Children in Uganda. Based on field work conducted in April 2009 in Moroto and Kotido…

Can community-based approaches to the targeting of humanitarian assistance in complex emergencies improve participation and reduce targeting error? Although the literature suggests that community-based targeting works best in slow-onset emergencies…

This briefing paper discusses findings from a study conducted in Darfur from 2006-8 that explored the changing role of migration and remittances in the livelihoods of conflict-affected people. We conducted…

Livelihoods in Darfur are intimately linked to the conflict, none more so than the livelihoods of the camel herding nomads known as the Northern Rizaygat. Their notoriety as part of…

Livelihoods in Darfur are intimately linked to the conflict, none more so than the livelihoods of the camel herding nomads known as the Northern Rizaygat. Their notoriety as part of…

The last few years have witnessed a renewed interest in the export of live animals and meat from Kenya and Ethiopia. In both cases, the private sector has taken the…

The Feinstein International Center has been developing and adapting participatory approaches to measure the impact of livelihoods based interventions since the early nineties. Drawing upon this experience, this guide aims…

This impact assessment aimed to measure the impact of an emergency livestock feed supplementation program implemented by Save the Children US during drought in pastoralist communities in Liben district (Guji…

The population of Southern Sudan was caught in a civil war from 1983 to 2005. During the war, several major famines led to a massive food aid intervention by the…

Conflict and crisis in Darfur has continued unabated since 2003. While there has been a growing body of knowledge about how this has impacted on livelihoods, there has been much…

This report is the outcome of an impact assessment of the ‘Pastoralist Survival and Recovery Project’ implemented by Lutheran World Relief and partners in North Dakoro, Niger. The assessment is…

In Haiti, many farmers lie beyond the reach of the formal banking system and MFIs. A powerful method of local financial intermediation, called mutuelles is helping to bridge the gap….

Karamoja is the poorest and least developed region of Uganda. The population experiences chronic food insecurity, little access to basic services, the weakening of traditional livelihood systems, ongoing insecurity, human…

This report is the outcome of an impact assessment of the ‘Chical Integrated Recovery Action Project’ an integrated livelihoods and drought mitigation intervention implemented by Africare in the Tillaberi region…

It is well known in the Darfur region that peoples’ livelihoods have been devastated as a result of the conflict, both as a result of the direct asset-stripping of conflict…

This study was an impact assessment of the ‘Zimbabwe Dams and Gardens’ Project’ a community based famine prevention and mitigation intervention being implemented by CARE International in Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe….

This study was an impact assessment of the “Gokwe Integrated Recovery Action Project” (GIRA) a drought recovery and famine mitigation intervention being implemented by Africare in the Midlands Province of…

Competing livelihoods in the absence of good local governance has led to localized and ultimately devastating conflict over natural resources in Darfur. The lack of comprehensive livelihoods analysis in international…

As part of a larger project entitled “Livelihoods and Human Security in Karamoja,” this briefing paper presents findings on causal factors and broad patterns in out-migration among the Bokora population….

The Pastoralist Livelihoods Initiative (PLI) is a two-year program funded by USAID Ethiopia which combines field level implementation and learning in pastoral areas, with the development of national guidelines for…

The protracted conflict in northern Uganda has created profound insecurity, brought the widespread loss of agrarian livelihoods, and pushed nearly two million people into internal displacement camps. With the current…

The World Food Programme has been providing humanitarian food assistance to vulnerable communities and groups in Southern Sudan for over twenty years, but circumstances have changed following the signing of…

The war and humanitarian crises engulfing northern Uganda are intricately linked with the armed conflict and unrest in eastern Uganda and southern Sudan. As a result of the links between…

It is almost two years since the beginning of the rebel insurgency in Darfur, but the conflict continues, the ceasefire has been frequently violated, and the world’s worst humanitarian crisis…

This study uses a livelihood framework to examine and analyze household livelihood strategies across three time periods in six rural villages in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The three time periods examined are the…

This case study examines how alternative approaches to rinderpest eradication evolved in the complex emergency context of southern Sudan. It also explores how initial experiences informed the establishment of a large scale community based animal health worker (CAHW) system.

The Alchemy Project began in 2001 as a pilot program to explore whether income generating interventions do support the livelihoods of forcibly displaced people. Our long-term goals were to work…

This report documents and analyzes recent countrywide trends in the relationship between human security and livelihoods throughout rural Afghanistan from 2002-2003. All countrywide information is generated by analyses of 2003…

The people of Ethiopia today are managing the risks and vulnerabilities generated by a serious drought, profound vulnerability to disease epidemics (human, crop and livestock), and a combination of local…