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Guinea-Bissau

WFP Guinea-Bissau Country Brief, October 2024

Attachments

In Numbers

  • 307 mt of food assistance distributed
  • US$ 9.8 million six months net funding requirements (November 2024 – April 2025)
  • 111,900+ people assisted In October 2024

Operational Updates

  • WFP Guinea-Bissau is coordinating support for communities affected by 2024 floods in Gabu, Tombali, Bafatá, Quinara, Biombo, Oio, and Bissau. According to the National Civil Protection Service (SNPC), an estimated 45,000 people were impacted, with 35,707 identified as vulnerable, including women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities.
    On 30 October, WFP organized a planning meeting with key stakeholders, including SNPC, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Red Cross, and various UN agencies, to develop a joint assessment mission. A comprehensive assessment tool for data collection and analysis was agreed upon and finalized, and field data collection was planned for five days.
  • In partnership with the Ministry of Women, Family, and Social Solidarity (MMFSS), WFP delivered a social protection training to 88 technicians from government ministries and regional offices across eight regions and Bissau. This initiative aims to strengthen the capacity of social protection workers to deliver high-quality services and improve the monitoring and assistance for vulnerable groups in the country. The program is part of a broader partnership between WFP and MMFSS to enhance the country’s social service infrastructure.
  • WFP is supporting the Institute of Civil Protection in establishing a National Multi-Risk Early Warning Mechanism to strengthen disaster preparedness and response. As part of this initiative, terms of reference are being developed for a Technical Committee that will oversee the mechanism's design and implementation. This is aligned with WFP’s broader objectives to enhance food security and resilience to enable communities to better anticipate, respond to, and recover from disasters.
  • WFP held a meeting with Farmer Cooperatives' leaders to discuss harvest challenges and local procurement. Discussions focused on lessons from past procurement, training on quality management, cost-shared postharvest equipment, and transportation logistics. With the rice and beans harvest underway, cooperatives stressed the need to expedite verification and contracting to prevent losses from prolonged storage.
  • WFP and INNOVALAB completed the first training cycle for six cooperatives, focusing on long-term sustainability, business centre expansion, aggregation, store management, quality control, and adding value to products. A total of 300 participants, including 161 women, attended.
  • From 28 October to 1 November, WFP conducted a mission to oversee the farmer training on aggregation and quality control, facilitated by INNOVALAB as the cooperating partner. During the mission, WFP engaged with Farmer Cooperatives in São Domingos, preparing them for the upcoming local procurement and the distribution of post-harvest management equipment.

Emergency Food Security Support Project (PAUSA)

  • On 28 October, WFP and Guinea-Bissau’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR) launched a workshop to revise the country’s Agricultural Development Policy Charter. The event aimed at providing a space for dialogue among stakeholders, including public and private institutions and key partners in the agricultural sector. Over four days, participants were able to incorporate updated technical data, innovative practices, and priorities to address sectoral challenges. Emphasis was given on integrating diverse perspectives and identifying strategies to enhance productivity and sustainability in rural areas. This initiative is part of the Emergency Food Security Support Project (PAUSA), funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and implemented jointly by WFP and MADR.
  • Additionally, the AfDB recently conducted a mission in Guinea-Bissau to oversee the progress of the PAUSA project and was impressed with WFP’s achievements so far. It was agreed to extend the project by six months to ensure that critical activities are completed and the project’s goals are fully realized.

Nutrition

  • A training session was held on 28 October for technicians from the Government’s Nutrition Service and regional nutrition focal points. This capacity-building program focused on implementing the Protocol for Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition and a Communication Strategy for Social and Behavioural Change (SBCC) to combat chronic malnutrition. A total of 23 central health officials and 11 regional focal points participated in the training to manage and supervise malnutrition protocols while establishing effective communication channels for continuous monitoring and response.

Challenges

  • Guinea-Bissau continues to struggle with significant challenges, particularly in the wake of the flooding from the 2024 rainy season affecting individuals, damaging infrastructure, displacing communities, and disrupting agricultural activities critical to the country’s food security.