Attachments
Overview
In 2023, WFP continued to support Togo through the implementation of the Country Strategic Plan (CSP) 2022-2026. In doing so, WFP closely collaborated with the Government to further develop inclusive and resilient food systems benefitting school canteens and communities. Fifty schools were supported by WFP in the Savanes and Kara regions through the home-grown school feeding (HGSF) programme, with the provision of hot meals to 16,232 primary students (95 percent of the target), as well as the creation of school gardens, livestock units and food processing facilities. Smallholder farmer organizations in the proximity of schools also benefited in multiple ways. They participated in training sessions on climate smart agricultural techniques, as well as having the opportunity to partner with WFP-supported schools by supplying them with staple produce. Sensitisation sessions were delivered in all schools on various topics, including proper hygiene practices, causes of nutritional deficiencies and the importance of nutrition sensitive meal preparation. Information was also provided regarding the diversification of local crops that could be cultivated in school gardens to improve the nutritional value of meals. The implementation of WFP activities was largely possible thanks to the financial contribution of the Togolese Government, but also due to the contributions of traditional and emerging humanitarian and development donors, and WFP’s internal funding.
WFP supported the Government in the provision of food and nutritional assistance to crisis-affected populations and helped strengthen the capacities of national partners in emergency preparedness and humanitarian response. WFP also spearheaded the implementation of cash-based transfers (CBT) for vulnerable populations in the north of the country, including the implementation of digitised processes for distributions and the registration of people that WFP supported. Due to the complexity of the situation, operations were limited in 2023. Various combined factors influenced this, including impeded humanitarian access to displaced and vulnerable populations, restrictions on the use of cash as a modality, and limited data sharing by the Government to enable effective targeting of the most vulnerable populations. In this context, WFP was able to reach 52,000 people with emergency food assistance, out of the planned 150,000 (34 percent of the target).
In line with strategic outcomes 1 and 2, the Food Assistance for Assets (FFA) programme was introduced in an attempt to provide early recovery and income generating activities to populations affected by the spillover of the Sahel conflict, to increase the resilience of smallholder farmers, and to promote sustainable and inclusive food systems. Twenty-five priority sites were selected for the delivery of community-based planning activities. This laid the foundation for activities that commenced in early 2024.
The port of Lomé remained a strategic hub for the country’s economic growth and the supply of essential goods to landlocked countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. WFP managed the supply chain corridor, transporting food and non-food items from Lomé to countries located along the coast, in the hinterland and across the Sahel region. In 2023, the WFP logistics team broadened its scope of activities to support the Ministry of Health and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) through the "Saving Lives and Livelihoods" initiative. Initially, this included the transport of vaccines for the nationwide vaccination campaigns against COVID and expanded to cover Togo’s entire national vaccination programme along with logistical assistance for the Government and various development actors (United Nations agencies and others), as well as the storage of various non-food products for people in need.