Informing humanitarians worldwide 24/7 — a service provided by UN OCHA

Eswatini

WFP Eswatini Country Brief, September 2019

Attachments

In Numbers

280 mt of food assistance distributed

USD 11 million six months (October 2019 to March 2020) net funding requirements, representing 38 % of total

77,149 people assisted in September 2019

Operational Updates

Social protection

• WFP targets the most food insecure and nutritionally vulnerable populations throughout the year, especially in response to periods of acute food insecurity and following climate shocks.

• Orphans and vulnerable children (OVC): WFP provides social safety nets for 53,000 OVC of pre-primary school age across Eswatini at 1,700 Neighbourhood Care Points (NCPs) through access to food and basic social services.

• Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF): WFP works with the government to implement a sustainable, nutritionsensitive, shock-responsive national school meals programme. The pilot for a HGSF project started in September 2019, targeting 50 schools and 24,392 students. WFP works with Ministry of Agriculture and FAO to empower local smallholder farmers to provide schoolchildren with food that is safe, diverse, nutritious and local.

Crisis Response

• The 2019 Eswatini Vulnerability Assessment and Analysis (VAA) indicate that 232,000 people, or 25 percent of the rural population, will be faced with acute food insecurity challenges for the 2019/2020 lean season. So far, beneficiary registration for assistance has begun in priority areas. Thanks to contributions from the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO) and the Strategic Reserve Allocation Committee (SRAC) enables WFP to reach 55,000 people for six months with cash-based transfers. However, more assistance is needed to cover a funding gap of 64 percent.

HIV and Nutrition

• Unified Budget Results and Accountability Framework (UBRAF) country envelope: WFP supported the Ministry of Health (MoH) to improve treatment and recovery outcomes of PLHIV and tuberculosis (TB) through evidence generation. A study was finalized in June, which demonstrated nutritional support has a great positive effect on the nutritional status and treatment outcomes of malnourished clients. WFP further collaborates with MoH, UNAIDS, WHO, UNFPA,
MTAD and the Swaziland Network of Young PLHIV to conduct integrated treatment literacy activities to empower communities for better nutrition, uptake of and adherence to ART & TB medication, and sexual & reproductive health services.

• Vulnerability drivers include dry spells during the start of the previous season coupled with early warning messages on the possibility of an El Nino drought that led to a high proportion of farmers choosing not to plant fields. This resulted in areas with significantly reduced planting, limited agricultural casual labour opportunities and food production drastically compromised.

• Food insecurity situation is likely to deteriorate rapidly in areas where there is limited or no humanitarian assistance and limited social safety nets. Many households are still failing to meet their food needs, intensifying the need for urgent food support. Current support programmes are not adequate to meet the rising demand.