Highlights
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WFP is currently seeking USD 130,000 to procure 190 mt of Super Cereal for the school meal programme. All other commodities have been procured to ensure the distribution of full rations to 163,000 pre and primary school children through the end of 2017.
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WFP’s women economic empowerment strategy, implemented under the activities with smallholder farmers, is now entering the second year of implementation and generating interest amongst its participants, with more women asking to take part. Therefore, WFP is seeking USD 1 million to scale up these activities and reach all rural women, who participate in WFP assisted Farmer Organizations.
WFP Assistance
The Country Programme (CP) aims to break the intergenerational cycle of undernourishment and hunger among the most vulnerable in Nicaragua.
Through Mother and Child Health activities, WFP provides nutritional support to vulnerable groups living in communities with high chronic malnutrition rates in municipalities recurrently affected by drought in Nueva Segovia and Madriz.
The school meals programme supports access to education with a daily meal to pre and primary school children in the most food insecure municipalities in Jinotega and North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region (RACCN). WFP also supports the national strategy with nutrition education, school gardens, infrastructure improvement, technical assistance and training to government staff and strengthening of community organizations.
WFP also provides an additional meal to school children in municipalities affected by shocks. This response is in line with the Government strategy to augment its existing social safety net programmes to reach the most vulnerable during times of hardship. Children receive a mid-morning meal through the National School Meals Programme and a lunch before going home, with the support of WFP.
Through the resilience programme, WFP seeks to ensure that vulnerable communities are better prepared to cope with shocks. Resilience objectives are being mainstreamed primarily through the school garden initiative and smallholder farming activities.
The mitigation and safety nets programme aims to enhance adherence to anti-retroviral therapy (ART) among HIV affected people in Managua and Chinandega.
Finally, WFP supports sustainable development by improving the income of smallholder farmers associated in Farmer Organizations. To do so, WFP connects them to local markets and social safety nets, leveraging its food demand; and fosters their capacities with technical assistance. Women farmers receive particular support through WFP’s economic empowerment strategy.
The regional PRRO aims to respond to small and medium scale emergencies through the provision of food assistance to affected families. WFP has contingency stocks available for a rapid response.
WFP supports the National System of Disaster Attention, Prevention and Mitigation (SINPARED) capacity in emergency preparedness and response through technical assistance, training, reproduction of materials, simulation exercises and strengthening of community organizations and local governments.
Operational Updates
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WFP and the Ministry of Education (MINED) completed the first school meal distribution of the year, bringing much needed food to 162,598 school children in 11 municipalities in some of Nicaragua’s most remote and vulnerable communities. For some of these children, school meals are the only daily meals high in nutrients that they receive. This is a strong incentive to attend school and makes a valuable contribution to the diets of children from low-income families.
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WFP continued to support 7,078 pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under three in the departments of Madriz and Nueva Segovia. The food basket includes over 290 mt of fortified vegetable oil, Supercereal and Supercereal Plus. The targeted departments are two of the most food insecure areas, where stunting rates are above national average. With distributions completed at the end of 2016, the food rations will benefit these vulnerable groups during a period of 180 days of assistance.
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WFP supported the National System for Disasters Prevention, Mitigation and Attention’s (SINAPRED) first training session of 2017, conducted to promote emergency preparedness at the community and municipal level. These exercises are an integral part of SINAPRED’s National Training Plan and are key to ensure that the Nicaraguan people are ready to respond in the event of shocks or natural disasters.