Attachments
In Numbers
381 mt in-kind food assistance distributed
USD 1.85 million in cash transferred to beneficiaries in November 2024
USD 22.5 million six-month net funding requirements (December 2024 – May 2025) representing 45 percent of total needs.
~248,000 people assisted in November 2024
Operational Updates
In November, WFP assisted ~248,000 people, including ~232,100 drought-affected individuals and refugees through crisis response (cash-based transfers and food distributions); ~1,100 people through nutrition improvement interventions; ~14,300 individuals through smallholder farmer support and resilience interventions; and ~90 through training on capacity strengthening activities.
Crisis response/refugees
Food assistance for refugees: WFP continues to provide cash- based transfers to refugees and asylum seekers at the Mantapala refugee settlement. In November, WFP assisted a total of ~9,100 refugees (4,600 female and 4,500 male).
Strengthened Livelihoods and Building Self-Reliance (SLABS) of Refugees and Host Communities in Mantapala: In collaboration with Africa Action Help International (AAH), WFP began distributing inputs in the Mantapala Refugee Settlement and the surrounding host community. By the end of November, 1,014 out of the 1,200 beneficiaries of the SLABs Project had redeemed their input packs. These packs contained maize, groundnuts, beans, cassava cuttings, and a variety of vegetables. The distributions will be completed in the first week of December for the remaining beneficiaries.
Crisis response/drought
In November, WFP assisted 232,100 (125,300 female and 106,800 male) people across 10 districts in Eastern, Southern and Western provinces (67 percent increase from last month as relief activities are scaled up). WFP assisted 156,600 people through cash-based transfers, 57,700 people through commodity vouchers (working with 10 private sector retailers) and 17,700 people through in-kind food distributions. The total tonnage of food distributed included 340 metric tons (MT) of cereals, 34 MT of pulses, and 7 MT of cooking oil.
Nutrition improvement support
Gender and Nutrition: To enhance efforts in integrating gender and nutrition for improved nutritional outcomes, WFP conducted a training session on gender and nutrition in the Mantapala Refugee settlement. The training was attended by 61 participants (19 males and 42 females) and aimed to explore the complex relationship between gender and nutrition, highlighting the various dynamics that influence individuals' access to and use of nutritious food. Key topics discussed in the training included: the connection between food and gender; gender inequality and malnutrition; gender's impact on adolescent nutritional needs; the significance of gender in nutrition initiatives; factors influencing gender dynamics in nutrition; nutritional intake differences between genders; and how gender affects food choices. This comprehensive approach aims to increase comprehension and address the nutritional needs of different genders, ultimately contributing to better nutrition outcomes for all.
Smallholder Farmer Support
Input distribution under drought recovery programme: In November, WFP distributed agricultural inputs to ~25,800 people (43 percent of target) in 11 districts across Eastern, Luapula, Southern, and Western provinces. Beneficiaries received packs of drought-tolerant and nutrient-rich crops, including cereals, tubers, legumes, and various vegetables. WFP aims to complete the distribution by December.
Insurance Payout following the 2023/2024 drought: In Zambia, WFP has been providing technical assistance to the Government to strengthen national capacities and systems for climate risk financing and insurance. Using the lessons learnt from the index insurance piloted under the Integrated Climate Risk Management project, WFP supported the government to improve the design and management of the insurance provided under the Farmers Input Support Programme (FISP) which currently reaches 1 million smallholder farmers. In November, WFP participated in FISP Insurance payout ceremonies under PULA and ZEP-RE’s Consortium of Insurance companies. A total of 722,000 smallholder farmers out of the 1,024,000 farmers who were insured by the Consortiums received payouts to the sum of over ZMW 937,221,100 (USD 34.4 million). This was the largest index payout to smallholder farmers from a single intervention, as well as the highest number of farmers to receive index payout in Africa.
Capacity Strengthening
To strengthen early warning systems, enhance shock responsiveness and build community resilience, WFP supported the training of 38 government and implementing partner staff in Seasonal Livelihood Programming (SLP) and Community-Based Participatory Planning (CBPP) approaches across six districts in Choma. The CBPP training, which targeted community leaders, empowered the development committee in Gamela Ward in Choma district to work collaboratively, ensuring that planning and decision-making processes were inclusive and transparent. This knowledge will enable them to develop more targeted, seasonal support plans that address specific needs during critical times of the year, such as planting and weeding seasons. Ultimately, the training equipped them with tools and approaches to create integrated livelihood programming plans with a disaster risk reduction focus supporting early action, preparedness and response strategies that will strengthen community resilience.
Research, assessments and monitoring.
mVAM remote market monitoring: Food price monitoring conducted in November showed a continued increase in prices of food commodities. The cost of a standard food basket for an average household of five per month in November was ZMW 1,772 (USD 65.2) reflecting a 4.2 per cent increase from October.