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Tajikistan

WFP Tajikistan Country Brief, April 2021

Attachments

In Numbers

  • 444,280 people assisted in April 2021

  • 998 mt of food distributed

  • US$ 88,873 cash-based transfers made

Operational Updates

• In April 2021, WFP held a handover ceremony in the town of Khujand, Sughd Region where 1,400 mt of fortified wheat flour, a contribution of the Russian Federation, was provided to the local authorities in support of the school feeding programme.

Representatives from WFP, the General Consulate of the Russian Federation in Sughd Region, and local authorities attended the ceremony. In Sugdh Region, the WFP school feeding programme covers around 164,000 primary school students in 600 schools. This is a part of WFP’s nationwide school feeding programme, through which WFP reaches around 500,000 Tajik schoolchildren from grades 1 to 4 in 2,000 schools across the country with hot, nutritious soup or other local meals and traditional bread baked using WFP fortified wheat flour. The school feeding programme is WFP’s largest operation in Tajikistan and represents the organization’s strong commitment to changing lives. In vulnerable and food insecure communities, providing healthy food to children at schools improves nutrition and health as well as increases access to education.

• In April, representatives from WFP, the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Sughd Region, and the Education Department of Sughd Region visited the town of Isfara and Jabbor Rasulov District to observe WFP field operations under the school feeding programme. Visits included schools where hot meals or income generation activities are being implemented and bakeries renovation projects are ongoing. This programme is made possible due to the financial support of the Russian Federation.

• In April, the head of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO), Mr. Yodgor Faizov, received representatives from the WFP field office in the region to discuss bilateral cooperation and achievements of 2020 and the first quarter of 2021. In addition the implementation of the WFP school feeding programme was discussed with the educational authorities of the region.

WFP and the Agency for Forestry of the Republic of Tajikistan signed a three-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) to work together to build government capacity to adapt to climate change. Within this MOU, WFP and the Agency of Forestry will collaborate in developing and disseminating information on forestry management in relation to local climate adaptation activities, establishing 400 hectares of orchards and agroforestry covering 200 hectares.
Training on tree selection suited to local ecosystems, planting, and application of compost is planned for the employees of the agency. Training on drying, processing, and preservation of fruits from the orchards, as well as vegetables and herbs will be considered in the future. WFP will also raise awareness about climate change and adaptation among the 50,000 people participating in the Green Climate Fund project, ensuring they have timely and relevant climate information for household decision-making when it comes to food security.

• In April, WFP provided two high-capacity scanners to the Agency of Statistics of Tajikistan in the overall amount of US$ 29,000 to support the country’s Census 2020 data processing at regional levels. This donation will help the agency’s branches in Khatlon and Sughd regions to expedite the scanning of hard copy questionnaires from the census survey into electronic format and share with the central office for analysis. This donation is part of the efforts by WFP to strengthen the technical capacity of the Agency of Statistics in statistical data generation.
In the past, WFP also supported the agency by building the capacity of its staff in GIS data analysis and mapping.

• WFP started implementation of social behaviour change communication (SBCC) activities in primary schools of five target districts to improve the hand-washing behaviour of children. Over 80 schools received WASH items, including mirrors for wash basins, liquid soaps, antiseptic sprays and paper towels. Additionally, all primary schoolchildren received soap and soap dishes for their regular use in schools. Information sessions were conducted for teachers and schoolchildren on hand hygiene.