Attachments
In Numbers
1,675 kgs of food (vegetables, fruits, beans) procured from smallholder farmers 53,056 school learners received school meals USD 8 million six months (June-Nov 2024) net funding requirements, representing 70% of total requirements. 53,526 people assisted in May
Operational Updates
Activity 1: Crisis response
• WFP requires USD 5.4 million to assist 40,000 households targeted for the upcoming lean season support (October 2024-March 2025). The Country office is awaiting the publishing of the Lesotho Vulnerability Assessment and the Integrated Acute Food Insecurity Phase Classification (IPC) analysis which will indicate the magnitude of food insecurity for the consumption year 2024/2025.
Activity 2: School Feeding
• WFP provided school meals to 53,056 pre-primary learners across the country, ensuring that each learner receives at least one nutritious meal each school day. In addition, WFP continues to implement the home-grown school feeding pilot project in Quthing and Mohale’s hoek districts, linking smallholder farmers to the school feeding market and ensuring that the targeted learners receive fresh locally produced food. In May, WFP injected USD 4,284 to the local economy by purchasing 378 Kgs of vegetables, 1,240 kgs of fruits, 125 trays of eggs and 57 kgs of beans from smallholder farmers within the vicinity of the targeted schools.
• WFP participated in the national celebration of Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Day organized by the Ministry of Education and Training as part of the ongoing 200 years celebration of the Basotho Nation. WFP took part in the celebration as the key partner of the Ministry in implementing the national school feeding. During the event, WFP presented how it has been supporting the Government under the school feeding programme including undertaking demonstrations of the innovative cooking solution (electric pressure cooker) that WFP introduced in selected schools. WFP further participated in the cooking demonstrations held in Berea district by the Ministry of Education and Training as part of strengthening the capacity of caregivers to prepare healthy nutritious meals for learners.
Activity 3: Early Warning and Disaster preparedness
• WFP provided technical support to the Lesotho Vulnerability Assessment Committee (LVAC) to conduct the annual vulnerability assessment and the Integrated Acute Food Insecurity Phase Classification analysis. Both the assessment and analysis will inform on the food security situation in Lesotho and the proposed recommendations against responding to food insecurity and supporting people most vulnerable. The vulnerability assessment incorporated the Economic Capacity to Meet Essential Needs (ECMEN) module to enhance the understanding of urban vulnerabilities and evaluate households' abilities to meet their essential needs.
The preliminary findings from the vulnerability assessment will be shared by end of June 2024.
• WFP, through the Adaptation Fund project, conducted trainings for various stakeholders (government ministries,
NGOs, youth organizations, church leaders, farmers'