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Nicaragua

WFP Nicaragua Country Brief, July 2022

Attachments

In Numbers

3,027 MT of food assistance distributed (covering the May-July school feeding period)

USD 10.7 M six months (August 2022 - January 2023) net funding requirements, representing 75% of total

185,088 people assisted* in July 2022

*Preliminary figures

Operational Updates

  • In early July, tropical storm Bonnie caused flash flooding, overflow in rivers and landslides in the North and South Caribbean Coast, with damages reported in 21 municipalities across Nicaragua. Early Government assessments indicate that at least 350 houses experienced flooding, 120 lost roofs, and five schools were damaged. There are negative effects on the production of various crops in the country. The most affected include corn, rice and bananas, and this creates concerns for the livelihoods of the rural families and the food security of entire communities, which are at risk of being unable to cope with the rising prices of agricultural inputs. WFP works with the National System for the Prevention, Mitigation and Response to Disasters (SINAPRED) to support early recovery efforts.

  • In coordination with Action Against Hunger, WFP supported SINAPRED in the launch of a technological innovation challenge for Disaster Risk Reduction (DDR). Open to researchers, university professors, students and staff from government institutions, who are encouraged to work in teams to find innovative solutions, it aims to promote innovation in DDR education, mitigation and early warning systems.

  • On July 28, WFP launched a course on DDR in coordination with the Bluefields Indian & Caribbean University and the Nicaraguan Institute of Agricultural Technology. With 30 participants from the Indigenous communities in Waspam and Rio Coco, the course aims to strengthen the adaptation capacities of Indigenous populations through skill development and a gender and intercultural approach to promote gender equity.

  • In coordination with its cooperating partners, Catholic Relief Services and WeWorld-GVC, WFP assisted 794 vulnerable families (3,970 people) in the Dry Corridor providing agricultural inputs packages to establish home vegetable gardens. These packages aim to increase the economic resilience of vulnerable families, making them less dependent on volatile markets, which is particularly relevant during the current global food price crisis.

  • As a part of WFP’s annual operational plan with the Ministry of Women, WFP organised four workshops on women’s rights, economic empowerment and legal framework for gender equality. Participants included women from six smallholder farmer organizations assisted by WFP in Matagalpa and Jinotega.

  • In July, 36 staff members from WFP Nicaragua and SINAPRED participated in a regional workshop on nutrition in emergencies. Through this initiative, they are better prepared to protect the food security of vulnerable populations during and after emergencies, ensuring a nutritionally balanced approach to emergency response.