In Numbers
- 418 mt of food assistance distributed
- US$ 7.2 m six months net funding requirements (October 2024 – March 2025)
- 48,900+ people assisted In Aug and Sep 2024
Operational Updates
- On 18 September, WFP began the distribution of rice and sardines to 850 elementary schools across the country. This coincided with the official opening of the 2024/25 school year, marked by a ceremony led by the Ministry of Education and attended by national and international education partners. The first deliveries were made to 15 schools in the Autonomous Sector of Bissau and 58 schools in the Biombo region. An additional 1,400 metric tons of rice and sardines will be distributed to more than 180,000 students covering their school meals through December 2024.
- As part of WFP’s 2024 Inter-Agency Standing Committee championship on Protection from Sexual Harassment, Exploitation, and Abuse (PHSEA), WFP Guinea-Bissau, in collaboration with the inter-agency PHSEA task force, organized a series of training sessions for all UN staff in the country. The training covered key areas related to the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, including demystifying power relations, defining sexual misconduct, leading by example, understanding through the victim’s perspective, and encouraging people to speak up.
- On 5 August, WFP held an intensive training session for its cooperating partners, focusing on administrative and financial procedures, protection, gender, Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP), and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA). The session, attended by multiple partners, covered a broad range of guidelines and protocols related to planning, execution, project monitoring, and financial management, with a strong emphasis on transparency and compliance. This initiative reflects WFP’s ongoing efforts to strengthen collaboration and ensure effective, sustainable operations, while preparing teams to address future challenges.
- WFP in collaboration with the Ministry of Women, Family, and Social Solidarity (MMFSS), conducted training sessions on social protection for technicians from various ministries in the regions of Quinara, Tombali, and Bolama-Bijagos. The training’s goal was to enhance the skills of these technicians, covering several key topics, including basic social protection concepts, project management, and vulnerability assessments.
Emergency Food Security Support Project (PAUSA)
- WFP conducted a mission to monitor environmental and social safeguards in the regions of Cacheu, Oio, Biombo, and Bissau. The mission focused on assessing compliance with two key frameworks: the Pesticides and Phytosanitary Products Management Plan (PGPP) and the Complaints Management Mechanism (MGP). During the visit, 15 complaint management committees were evaluated. Few beneficiaries confirmed that no pesticides had been used during the current growing season, and those who used chemical fertilizers followed PGPP guidelines, disposing of empty packaging correctly through burial or controlled burning. During the period, no complaints were registered concerning gender-based violence or negative effects from pesticide or fertilizer use.
- Currently, rehabilitation work is underway on nine buildings at the Bissorã livestock centre to install equipment for chickens and eggs production. This work is expected to be completed by the end of October 2024, which will enable the centre to produce 5,400 eggs and 4,000 chickens annually.
- WFP held a series of training sessions for technicians from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR) on the safe and effective use of pesticides and fertilizers. The sessions were informative on phytosanitary regulations, pesticide control, chemical fertilizer standards, and seed certification guidelines. Led by experts from the Ministry of Agriculture, the training focused on equipping the technicians with best practices to ensure safe and sustainable agricultural production.
Nutrition
- On 12 March, WFP and the Ministry of Health launched a pilot cash transfer program to support 300 pregnant and breastfeeding women in the Oio region. This financial assistance is intended to support women, many of whom live far from health centres, access essential prenatal and postnatal care. The initiative is part of a broader project to combat malnutrition among women, children, and people living with HIV/TB in Guinea-Bissau, funded by the Government of Spain through a debt swap agreement.
- WFP completed the registration of 44,800 children aged 6 to 23 months as beneficiaries for the distribution of specialized nutritious food aimed at preventing chronic malnutrition in the regions most affected—Oio, Bafata, and Gabu. This is in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health, specifically the Directorate for Food, Nutrition, and Child Survival, along with nutrition focal points and community health workers in the targeted health centres.
- As part of the Social Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) component, an awareness campaign is ongoing to promote healthy eating habits in the regions of Oio, Bafata, and Gabu. These sessions were designed to improve community understanding of nutritious diets, with a special focus on pregnant women, children under five, and people living with HIV.
Challenges
- The rainy season has significantly impacted crop production, with excessive rainfall leading to flooding, soil erosion, and infrastructure damage. Additionally, the political situation remained tense ahead of the legislative elections scheduled for November 2024, reflecting ongoing political challenges in the country.