Informing humanitarians worldwide 24/7 — a service provided by UN OCHA

Sierra Leone

WFP Sierra Leone Country Brief, January 2017

Attachments

Highlights

  • WFP provided food to 12 Ebola Virus Disease orphan care centers in the Western Area as an interim measure to get them integrated into foster families.

  • The UN Network for Scaling up Nutrition (SUN) and Renewed Efforts Against Child Hunger and undernutrition (REACH) concluded a four day mission to Sierra Leone and met with nutrition stakeholders including donors, UN agencies, relevant Government Ministries.

Operational Updates

  • WFP participated in a four day mission from the UN Network on Scaling up Nutrition (SUN) and Renewed Efforts Against Child Hunger and undernutrition (REACH) to Sierra Leone. The mission met with technical focal points and heads of UN agencies, relevant government ministries and donor agencies including Irish Aid, USAID, European Union and DFID. Outcomes of the mission include a draft work plan and budget for the UN Network as well as terms of reference for a National Facilitator.

  • WFP provided food to 12 Ebola Virus Disease orphan care in interim centers in the Western Area as part of a three month food support to orphans in these centers. WFP plans to scale up support to extend to foster families nationwide.

  • Food deliveries to health centers (or whichever place from which you distribute food) for tuberculosis clients on direct observatory treatment have commenced countrywide and distributions were expected to begin before the end of January.

  • Road conditions have improved with the onset of the dry season, which has enabled WFP to deliver food to previously inaccessible chiefdoms in Bombali and Kambia districts.
    Challenges

  • There were delays in signing a new contract for the rapid response crane service after the previous one expired in December 2016 due to lack of response from potential service providers. However, a new contract with nine months duration has now been signed after the tender was re-advertised in the newspapers and on the radio.

  • Contracts for commercial transporters were adjusted upwards to accommodate the recent 60 percent rise in the price of fuel. Warehouse labor service providers are similarly pushing for a contract rate adjustment based on the prevailing economic situation in the country. The rapid change in prices for goods and services are likely to have financial implications for WFP.

Partnerships

  • WFP conducted an evaluation for World Vision, which will act as an implementing partner to provide support to EVD orphans. WFP also evaluated the NGO Building Resources Across Communities, which is currently implementing the Japanese Bilateral project.

  • WFP has initiated field level agreements with seven NGOs and six district agriculture offices across the country for the implementation of nutrition and livelihood activities for 2017.