Attachments
Overview
Key messages
• WFP is a strategic partner of the Government of Honduras in addressing the root causes of food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty.
• WFP reached 1.3 million people with direct assistance and indirectly benefitted an additional 1.2 million people with assets, capacity and services.
In 2023, Honduras continued to face complex challenges, including poverty, inequality and a slow socioeconomic recovery due to a policrisis. These challenges were heightened by violence, forceful displacement and migration. In addition, the country remained particularly vulnerable to natural hazards, such as hurricanes, floods and droughts, which threatened the populations most vulnerable to continued food insecurity and malnutrition, particularly women, girls and Indigenous and Afro-descendant groups. While 2023 saw no hurricanes or extreme tropical storms, irregular rainfall linked to the ongoing El Niño phenomenon, and which is expected to last until May 2024, adversely impacted subsistence farmers, leading to a reduction in crop yields of between 25 to 50 percent [1] [2]. This context has posed a substantial macroeconomic challenge for Honduras, which led to the implementation of a forward-looking fiscal strategy by the Government to address this situation [3].
Migration to North America has undergone increased acceleration and complexity in recent years, with a nearly six-time rise over the past three decades [4]. In 2023, 240,000 people participated in mixed movements passing through Honduras [5]. The humanitarian community in Honduras collaboratively defined a comprehensive and coordinated approach to safeguard the rights and well-being of migrants while ensuring regional stability.
Through a stronger enabling role in different programmes, WFP is well-placed to support Honduras in reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), especially SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). In 2023, WFP assisted 1.3 million people nationwide (53 percent women), including over 9,500 persons with disabilities, generating indirect benefits for an additional estimated 1 million people. WFP boosted women's access to resources and gender equality.
WFP consolidated its role as a strategic partner of the Government, implementing its country strategic plan 2023 - 2027 to tackle the root causes of food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty. In 2023, WFP introduced innovative initiatives to design parametric microinsurance for subsistence and smallholder farmers, support through cash-based transfers (CBT) to Indigenous and Afro-descendant groups, and enhanced governmental capacities for anticipatory actions, among other endeavors.
WFP provided advisory and technical assistance to the Ministry for Contingency and Risk Management and helped establish the Interinstitutional Technical Committee on Drought as well as the Technical Advisory Group for Anticipatory Actions for early warnings, targeting, anticipatory actions and CBT.
Through a food systems approach, WFP's resilience programmes empowered rural and urban communities to withstand and recover from shocks and stressors, including climate-related ones. WFP assisted 22,500 individuals with food assistance for assets and technical support, addressing climate challenges and enhancing agricultural and non-agricultural productivity to improve food security and nutrition. Through innovative initiatives, WFP linked smallholder farmer organizations to procurement opportunities in the public and private sectors, promoting their nutritious products within the Local and Regional Food Procurement Policy framework and strengthening their connections with local markets. Moreover, WFP played a crucial role in revising the National Roadmap for Food Systems Transformation in preparation for the Government’s participation in the "United Nations Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking Moment" in July 2024, in collaboration with the Rome-based agencies.
Aligned with the Government's priorities for comprehensive social protection, WFP supported the National School Feeding Programme, the country's most prominent social protection programme, reaching 1.2 million preschool and primary school children nationwide. Furthermore, WFP enhanced the homegrown school feeding programme by supporting milk production and biofortified beans. This effort supported local value chain actors and emphasized economic empowerment and livelihoods of women smallholder farmers. WFP collaborated closely with the Government, which signed the Declaration to join the School Meals Coalition after participating in the World Summit in October 2023 [6]. WFP's committed to strengthen its partnership with the Government to address child malnutrition and enhance school feeding programmes in the country. Through its nutrition programme, WFP reached more than 21,000 children and almost 8,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls to prevent malnutrition, particularly among groups vulnerable to food insecurity.
WFP supported the Government’s initiatives to enhance and strengthen national social protection systems and policies, focusing on food security and nutrition. WFP actively assisted the Government in crafting a shock-responsive social protection policy to ensure households could afford to address climate risks. WFP provided logistics services such as warehousing, inventory management, handling, and transportation to humanitarian network partners to increase their coverage and response capacity.
Contributing to SDG 17, WFP established solid partnerships with key ministries in Honduras. This strategic collaboration ensured the proper implementation of activities, further bolstering the collective commitment to sustainable development goals and strengthening the resilience of communities vulnerable to food insecurity. Furthermore, WFP collaborated with International Financial Institutions to address food insecurity, leveraging financial resources and expertise for sustainable projects that enhance agricultural and economic systems.
In its evidence-generating efforts, WFP contributed to a better understanding of challenges and opportunities related to food security and humanitarian needs. In 2023, WFP, in collaboration with UNICEF, the National Institute of Statistics and Action Against Hunger, assessed the nutritional and food security situation in four prioritized regions of Honduras [7]. This study offered current and timely information for decision making and the design of projects, programmes and policies in both the governmental sector and civil society. Moreover, WFP conducted a study of food security and nutrition in Indigenous and Afro-descendant populations with a gender approach [8].
WFP continued its co-lead role of the Food Security and Nutrition Cluster, collaborating with government agencies as well as humanitarian and non-governmental organizations to improve food security analysis and evidence-based decision making. Moreover, WFP led the Cash Working Group, driving innovation and research to explore new approaches for designing and implementing cash transfers based on diverse humanitarian contexts. Additionally, WFP co-led with FAO the results group focused on promoting coordination under Strategic Priority 2 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework.