Attachments
Highlights
• WFP and the Ministry of Health signed an agreement to procure specialized nutritious foods to combat malnutrition in over 10,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women.
• The Government validated the 2023/24 Acute Integrated Food Insecurity Phase Classification (IPC) preliminary assessment results following a comprehensive analysis coordinated by WFP. The IPC results will be published in early 2024.
• WFP supported the Government, through the Secretary of State for Cooperatives, in hosting a National Launch of Cooperative Products. The event promoted sorghum as a nutritious and drought-resilient alternative to rice.
Operational Updates
Nutrition
• WFP signed a service-level agreement with the Ministry of Health for US$600,000 to procure specialized nutritious food for pregnant and breastfeeding women (PBW). The joint initiative supports government efforts to combat child stunting and will benefit more than 10,000 PBWs nationwide.
Social Protection / School Feeding
• WFP delivered Home Grown School Feeding training in 13 municipalities, linking farmers to schools. The training reached 655 participants from school organizations, school management teams and farmer groups, comprising a total of 455 men and 200 women. The two-day training sessions provided participants with the know-how to set up and undertake Home-Grown School Feeding in their local communities.
Emergencies
• WFP conducted logistics capacity and service market assessments in partnership with government counterparts from the Civil Protection Authority, Ministry of Social Solidarity and Inclusion, the National Logistics Center, and Ministry of State Administration. The assessment included information on local storage, logistics infrastructures, road conditions, and the market's accessibility for logistics services. The results highlighted (1) an overall need for additional warehouse staff, (2) further staff training in warehouse and commodity management, and (3) more logistics support equipment, such as pallets to stack commodities correctly while in storage. These findings will inform operational planning and response including the humanitarian assistance plans as part of the current El Niño event.