 Have you ever wondered why, in this day and age, some communities constantly face extreme hunger? There's a common saying that goes, give a person a fish and they will have dinner for the night, but teach them to fish and they'll never have to worry about food again. It sounds easy enough, but what happens in the event of a disaster? Like if the lake dries up. Nearly 80% of the people on our planet live in rural areas and rely on some form of agricultural production for their livelihoods. Floods, droughts, conflict, pandemics, these types of disasters can have massive impacts, not only on fields and crops, but also on agricultural assets and infrastructure, leaving people's livelihoods in tatters and leaving rural communities even more vulnerable. In fact, just one planting season or harvest can change their lives forever. This is why emergency livelihoods assistance is so important as a frontline humanitarian intervention. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is on the ground helping communities to anticipate disasters, responding with life-saving aid when disasters strike, and helping affected families and communities move towards a lasting recovery. Emergency food assistance is vital, but we must do more to win the battle against hunger. Building livelihoods and agri-food systems that are resilient to shocks are at the core of FAO's humanitarian work. Through a combination of short and medium-term actions, FAO is providing desperately needed livelihoods assistance so rural communities can continue to produce and access food locally by implementing anticipatory actions ahead of disasters to reduce the impact when they hit by investing in local people and economies through cash transfers, voucher schemes and cash-for-work programs and by equipping people with tools and resources to provide for themselves including displaced populations. Agricultural production is possible and effective even in dark times. We know this at FAO because we have done this. With the right support at the right time, small-scale food producers can protect their livelihoods and their communities and stand stronger against future threats.