Overview
In Madagascar, WFP seeks to address the underlying causes of food insecurity and malnutrition through the implementation of its Country Strategic Plan. In 2022, WFP had a meaningful impact on the lives of 2.5 million food insecure people (51 percent female, 49 percent male), who benefited from an array of food assistance and nutrition activities implemented in support of the Government and in collaboration with a broad range of humanitarian and development stakeholders.
Madagascar continued to face an acute food crisis in 2022 as a result of a prolonged drought, two cyclones and two tropical storms in close succession, as well as the convergence of numerous shocks such as sandstorms, locust invasions, plant infestations, the socioeconomic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic and the global food crisis. Recognizing the exacerbation of the situation, WFP maintained a strategic focus on Madagascar to sustain its response capacities through staff deployment and the allocation of additional resources for an expansion of activities.
Thanks to the assistance provided by WFP and partners, famine-like conditions (IPC Phase 5) previously experienced in 2021 were averted, and emergency levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 4) did not increase further. WFP assisted 1.46 million people (51 percent females, 49 percent males) in ten drought-affected districts in Southern Madagascar with food assistance and cash-based transfers. In cyclone and flood-affected areas, WFP also assisted 589,000 beneficiaries (51 percent females, 49 percent males) through in-kind food assistance to 152,000 people and cash-based transfers to 436,000 people.
In 2022, WFP expanded its moderate acute malnutrition programme from 385 to 998 treatment centres, treating 161,000 children under the age of five for acute malnutrition, adopting an integrated approach to malnutrition prevention and integrating nutrition-specific treatments with food diversification activities.
WFP is the country's largest school meals provider, ensuring that 280,000 children in 990 public schools receive diversified and nutritious food for improved education, food security, nutritional status, and health outcomes. WFP laid the foundation for a strong national home-grown school feeding model to serve as a social security mechanism for children, garnering financial support from international financial institutions.
WFP enrolled 155,000 (51 percent females, 49 percent males) beneficiaries of food assistance in early recovery activities targeted at creating assets. This was to promote early livelihood recovery and support communities in strengthening their resilience to shocks.
WFP strengthened its partnerships with national and local governments, local communities, the private sector, and other UN agencies to ensure the distribution of unconditonal resource transfers, strengthen national and local capacities and capabilities, and reinforce the application of early warning systems and anticipatory actions. This included rehabilitating the national operations centre and establishing a call center to manage emergency and crisis responses; provide food insecurity early warning data and information products; and establishing a common community feedback mechanism that allows anyone to provide feedback on the received assistance.
WFP activated the shock responsive social protection approach, in collaboration with the Ministry of Population and Social Protection, providing ration top-ups in the form of cash-based transfers or in-kind commodities. This assistance benefited 390,000 severely food insecure individuals in Madagascar's Great South and Great Southeast (51 percent female, 49 percent male).
WFP supported Government’s actions in agricultural adaptation to climatic shocks. WFP worked closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization to design and implement the Global Summit roadmap on food systems strengthening for an enhanced support to the National Strategy on Food Self-sufficiency. WFP also purchased local fortified food for the first time for its nutritional programmes.
The number of flights and destinations served by WFP-operated United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) were increased from nine to eleven, and its weekly flights from two to four to address the growing needs of the humanitarian community
Generous contributions from donors allowed WFP to serve beneficiaries quickly and effectively in response to drought and cyclones. WFP received timely support from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund and increased donations from private donors and foundations. Advanced financing, WFP’s Immediate Response Account, and the Global Commodity Management Facility also played critical roles in enabling WFP's operations in Madagascar.