Abstract:
Ethiopia may be a country that has long faced difficulties related to food insecurity in the
provinces and is gradually facing similar new difficulties related to food insecurity in the
cities. The objective of the study was to assess the practice and challenges of UPSNP in
Addis Ababa Gulele Sub-City. A mixed methods research approach was used for the
study: 130 households were selected for the study. Data were collected using structured
questionnaires, key informant interviews, focus group discussions and secondary data
such as UPSNP manuals, annual reports and Woreda project master list. The
information was organized, entered into the computer using SPSS version 20 software,
analyzed, and interpreted to determine possible outcomes. Descriptive statistics were
used to determine the practices and challenges of the urban safety net program. The
results show that the cost of living caused by Covid19 and the war in the North had a
negative impact on the implementation of the program. Beneficiary families were forced
to use the 20 percent savings that were supposed to be invested in work at the end of the
program for food consumption; some program beneficiaries were forced to reduce their
food consumption due to the cost of living.To further improve the practice of the
program, food assistance or subsidy should be provided to beneficiary families in
addition to financial assistance in the face of inflation. It is recommended that
coordination between executive agencies and stakeholders be strengthened, that
education about the program be increased, and that the safety net office be established
independently and has its own director.
