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

Guinea-Bissau

WFP Guinea-Bissau Country Brief, June -July 2024

Attachments

In Numbers

  • 219 mt of food assistance distributed
  • US$ 4.8 m six months net funding requirements (Aug 2024 – Jan 2025)
  • 115,000+ people assisted In June and July 2024

Operational Updates

  • WFP, in collaboration with the Minister of Education in Guinea Bissau and various line ministries, launched an initiative on 25 July in the village of Campunghor in the Gabu region. This multi-sector effort aims to establish a hub of modularized and scalable service packages, serving as a platform for stimulating adaptive growth and development.
  • WFP and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), continues to support Guinea-Bissau's food systems transformation. A National Capacity Building Workshop, held in Bissau from 29 to 31 July, brought together government and private sector stakeholders to discuss contributions toward advancing food systems in line with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Participants also benefited from the expertise of the Wageningen Center for Development Innovation (WCDI), a global leader in agricultural research.
  • WFP and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR) in Guinea-Bissau launched a training program to enhance agribusiness and food security for smallholder farmers. The initiative aimed to boost production, secure financing, and expand market access, targeting 100 cooperatives and over 15,000 farmers over two years. The training covered agribusiness, financing, and post-harvest management, with a focus on women's participation and business advisory support. The event was attended by representatives from cooperatives, the private sector, government, FAO, Ecobank Guinea-Bissau, BAO, and the Bank of West Africa.
  • WFP conducted a Training of Trainers on aggregation and quality control for ten trainers from InnovaLab and WFP, who will go on to train 12 farmer cooperatives. This initiative aims to capacitate 600 farmers, including members of Executive and Management Committees, ahead of the next phase of local procurement for the Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF) program starting in August 2024. An inception workshop, attended by 50 farmer cooperative leaders and stakeholders, was held to outline the capacity-building program, and establish an implementation framework that integrates digital agriculture, local procurement, innovation, and financing.
  • WFP participated in International Children's Day celebrations organized by its school feeding program at three schools for children with special needs in Bissau and the Biombo region. The event featured arts and games to promote an inclusive environment where all children are valued and to help boost the children's self-esteem.
  • In line with Guinea-Bissau's strategic goal to strengthen its social protection system, WFP held a 3-day capacitybuilding workshop in Bissau. The training brought together technicians, field teams, and representatives from government ministries, NGOs, UN agencies, and the private sector to provide them with essential tools for effective social protection programming. Key topics included social protection terminology, an in-depth analysis of the country's policy pillars, and discussions on financing and costing systems. Additional sessions focused on strategies to strengthen food systems, develop vulnerability criteria, and improve communication and advocacy efforts.
  • A vessel carrying 2,400 mt of rice, generously donated by the Republic of Korea, has arrived at the Port of Bissau. The rice was unloaded and transported to WFP’s warehouse. This contribution is expected to provide meals for 180,000 primary school children across 850 schools supported by WFP throughout Guinea-Bissau in the upcoming school year

Emergency Food Security Support Project (PAUSA)

  • As part of the Emergency Food Security Support Project (PAUSA), WFP distributed a diverse range of agricultural assistance to smallholder farmers in the country. These includes 500 mt of cassava cuttings, 10 mt of taro, 10 mt of yam, 5,000 m of sweet potato vines, and 200 mt of urea fertilizer (46 percent concentration). This initiative is set to assist a total of 15,465 smallholder farmers, including 8,060 women and 7,405 men.
  • WFP and the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development have launched a joint mission to oversee the distribution of agricultural assistance under the PAUSA project. The delegation also visited sites where the two institutions are collaborating on key initiatives, including the K-Rice Polite project, the expansion of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), and a pilot seed variety testing project in partnership with the Nairobi-based Seeds System Group.

Nutrition

  • WFP completed the registration of beneficiaries and distributed mobile phones and SIM cards for cash-based transfers to 300 pregnant women and 200 people living with HIV in Nhacra, a region in the northern part of the country severely affected by malnutrition. Each beneficiary received a mobile phone and SIM card as part of a monthly cash-based transfer initiative, supporting pregnant women and people living with HIV through the ongoing nutrition program.

Challenges

  • The political situation in Guinea-Bissau remains tense ahead of the legislative elections scheduled for November 2024. While, the annual rainy season, typically occurring between June and October, has brought significant logistical challenges including flooding, disruption of transportation networks and agricultural activities, particularly in rural areas.