In Numbers
111 mt of food assistance distributed
US$ 21,300 cash-based transfers made US$3.5 m six months (December 2018-May 2019) net funding requirements, representing 27% of total
16,727 people assisted in November 2018
Operational Updates
• As integrated part of the Governments free quality school education initiative, WFP resumed its support for the national school feeding programme in 11 vulnerable chiefdoms in Pujehun and Kambia districts, where food insecurity and nutrition indicators were amongst the highest in Sierra Leone according to the latest CFSVA. In November, 146 mt of food commodities was successfully dispatched to targeted schools in the districts of Pujehun and Kambia targeting 28,909 children. Gradual increase is expected in the coming months to target the full 35,000 children. Plans are near completion for scale up of school feeding to Government assisted schools in Karene, Bonthe and Kailahun Districts (SRAC). Distributions are planned for January 2019.
• WFP, through the UN Renewed Efforts Against Child Hunger and undernutrition (REACH) activities, supported the Scaling up Nutrition (SUN) secretariat to conduct stakeholder mapping to identify all nutrition actors in Sierra Leone in November 2018. WFP initiated this cooperation through the implementation of a series of ‘post- harvest management, value addition and quality handling training’ workshops for WFP food for asset farmers and Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) supported farmers. JICA highlighted the benefits of utilising the technical package (SRPP-TPR) practises for increased production and water management whilst WFP showcased effective post- harvest management handling.
• In November, 5,048 people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV/AIDS) received in-kind food assistance as part of food-by-prescription (FbP) nutritional support nationwide.
• As part of WFP’s exit strategy for nutritional support to those affected by HIV/AIDS, cash-based transfers were provided to 200 vulnerable people in the Western Area Rural and Western Area Urban in Sierra Leone. The cash transfer is expected to enable households nutritional support as well as address relapses of people living with HIV (PLHIV) after exiting from programme. The support is used to meet basic needs and supporting their livelihoods thus preventing them from relapse. In November, WFP reached 196 beneficiaries as part of this programme.