Dan for Relief and Development (DRD), in partnership with Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), has completed the distribution of barley to livestock farmers in villages affiliated with the Sanjak Saadoun Council, near the city of Amuda in northern rural Al-Hasakah, as part of the activities of the “Women’s Empowerment in Raqqa and Al-Hasakah” project

Based on defined eligibility criteria, the activity reached 75 women from 11 villages who own or manage small livestock herds. Each beneficiary received one ton of barley and 10 kilograms of feed supplements.

This support aims to improve livestock health and productivity, reduce animal husbandry costs, and strengthen livelihoods based on livestock rearing, contributing to increased household income and improved capacity to cope with economic pressures.

To further enhance the impact of this intervention, DRD also conducted a four-day specialized training for women livestock farmers. The training covered livestock nutrition management, methods for improving productivity, and approaches to reducing animal husbandry costs, strengthening participants’ knowledge and skills while supporting the sustainability of their income sources.

The “Women’s Empowerment in Raqqa and Al-Hasakah” project is implemented through an integrated approach combining food security, sustainable livelihoods, and protection, with the aim of strengthening the resilience of the most vulnerable women and girls, with a particular focus on survivors of violence, female-headed households, and displaced women.

In addition to supporting small-scale livestock farmers, the project includes economic empowerment pathways through vocational training and entrepreneurship support for 50 women in Raqqa, as well as conditional cash grants to establish income-generating businesses based on approved business plans. The project also supports the formation of women’s groups and provides training on disaster risk reduction and early warning systems to protect agricultural assets from climate-related shocks.

The project also includes protection activities, including community awareness, psychosocial support for women, and emergency cash assistance for critical cases, based on protection assessments that uphold privacy and confidentiality.

Through these interventions, Dan for Relief and Development seeks to strengthen food security and the stability of productive household assets among female-headed households, support sustainable economic empowerment pathways, and enhance women’s ability to gradually transition from reliance on humanitarian assistance toward productive livelihoods and improved income sources. The project also engages beneficiaries and local stakeholders in planning and follow-up, contributing to the sustainability of its outcomes.