Scoping Study on Social Protection and Safety Nets for Enhanced Food Security and Nutrition in the KYRGYZ REPUBLIC 2018 R U S S I a N F E D E R a T I O N
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Scoping Study on Social Protection and Safety Nets for Enhanced Food Security and Nutrition iN THE KYRGYZ REPUBLIC 2018 R u s s i a n F e d e r a t i o n K a z a k h s t a n KYRGYZ REPUBLIC M o n g o l i a G e o r g i a U z b e k i s t a n A z e r b a i j a n Dem People's T u r k m e n i s t a n T u r k e y Rep of Tajikistan Korea C h i n a Republic J a p a n of Korea J a m m u a n d A f g h a n i s t a n K a s h m i r I r a n I r a q P a k i s t a n N e p a l Bhutan Bangladesh S a u d i A r a b i a I n d i a O m a n V i e t N a m M y a n m a r L a o P A C I F I C O C E A N Y e m e n T h a i l a n d C a m b o d i a S o m a l i a The designations employed and the presentation of material in the map(s) do not imply the E t h i o p i a expression of any opinion whatsoever of WFP concerning the legal or constitutional status of Sri any country, territory or sea area, or concerning the delimitation of frontiers. Lanka All rights reserved. Reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product for educational or other non-commercial uses are authorized without any prior written permission from the copyright holders provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of material in this information product for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without written permission. Applications for such permission should be addressed to the Director, Communications Division, e-mail: [email protected]. © WFP 2018 2 Malaysia Kenya I N D I A N O C E A N I n d o n e s i a Esri, DeLorme, GEBCO, NOAA NGDC, and other contributors R u s s i a n F e d e r a t i o n This report is part of a larger series of scoping studies on Social Protection and Safety Nets for Enhanced Food K a z a k h s t a n Security and Nutrition in the Kyrgyz Republic that was commissioned by the World Food Programme in partnership with the University of Maastricht in 2017. Specific country M o n g o l i a KYRGYZ REPUBLIC focused studies have been conducted on Armenia, Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan with a view to contributing fresh evidence and sound policy analysis around social protection issues in relation to food and nutrition security, resulting in a set of country-specific policy recommendations on nutrition- sensitive social protection and safety nets that consider the perspectives of a wide range of stakeholders. The Regional G e o r g i a U z b e k i s t a n Synthesis Report summarizes the findings of the three studies and provides a more general overview of social protection and safety nets issues in relation to food security and nutrition A z e r b a i j a n Dem People's T u r k m e n i s t a n across the three countries, with a summary of the main trends T u r k e y and a set of consolidated findings andR erecommendations.p of Tajikistan Korea This research initiative has been conducted under the overall C h i n a coordination of Carlo Scaramella, Deputy Regional Director, Regional Bureau for North Africa, Middle REast,epub Centrallic Asia and Eastern Europe, World Food Programme (WFP), Cairo J a p a n with the support of Dipayan Bhattacharyya,of KMurielorea Calo, J a m m u a n d and Verena Damerau, WFP. The report authors are Franziska A f g h a n i s t a n K a s h m i r Gassmann and Eszter Timar from the University I r a n of Maastricht. I r a q The Social Protection and Safety Nets unit at the UN World Food Programme’s Regional Bureau for North Africa, Middle East, Central Asia and Eastern Europe wishes to recognize P a k i s t a n and extend thanks to the many individuals who took the time to participate in this research. Special thanks are due to N e p a l Roman Mogilevskii, Gulsana Turusbekova, Nazgul Tashpaeva, Bhutan Robert Brudzynski, Nurdolot Sadyrbekov, Zaripa Niyazbekova Lunara Mamytova, Jipara Rysbekova, Nazgul Musaeva, Kanat Tilekeyev, Gulnura Kojobergenova, Alexi Slushinskii, Bangladesh Saule Kasymbaeva, Ana Ocampo, Jessica Owen, Kadenova Zuurakan Azhimatova, Sirdbybayev Suyunbek, Kemelova Assel, Kuykeev Eric Asanovich, Dikambayev Azamat and S a u d i A r a b i a I n d i a Jumaliev Jigitaly. O m a n V i e t N a m M y a n m a r L a o P A C I F I C O C E A N Y e m e n T h a i l a n d C a m b o d i a S o m a l i a E t h i o p i a Sri Lanka 3 Malaysia Kenya I N D I A N O C E A N I n d o n e s i a Esri, DeLorme, GEBCO, NOAA NGDC, and other contributors Scoping Study on Social Protection and Safety Nets for Enhanced Food Security and Nutrition in the Kyrgyz Republic Executive Summary After a difficult initial period of disasters and political unrest. Poverty and Since 2010, the Government of the independence and transition, food insecurity are intertwined, as the lack Kyrgyz Republic and its partners have the Kyrgyz Republic has made of purchasing power prevents households demonstrated dedication to improve remarkable progress in economic to consume enough nutritious food. Even the well-being of the population and and social development. The economy though poverty rates at the international have made important achievements is recovering from recent shocks, including lines have decreased, a fourth of the in social protection policy. The last financial crises in 2008 and 2014, political population consumes less than the national two decades have brought about several unrest and natural disasters. Economic poverty line. Rural populations, particularly reforms, and there have been ongoing growth is projected to slowly increase from in the rural South, are disproportionately efforts to expand and consolidate social 3.5 percent of gross domestic product in affected by poverty. Children and members protection. Yet, social protection in its 2017 to 5.4 percent in 2022. The Kyrgyz of large households are among the poorest current form does not comprehensively Republic has recently become a member of the poor. address the needs and vulnerabilities of of the Eurasian Economic Union. Poverty the Kyrgyz population. A number of caveats has decreased dramatically, with less than Social protection is relatively and bottlenecks are present, which must be 1 percent of the population living below comprehensive in the country, but addressed by a comprehensive reform of the international cut-off point of 1.90 dollar social assistance and active labour social protection. a day as reported by the World Bank. The market programmes are relatively Global Hunger Index now categorizes the small. Pensions are responsible for an Several challenges exist in social Kyrgyz Republic as a country with low level estimated 56 percent decrease in extreme protection, the key ones being gaps of hunger – a substantial improvement since poverty, thanks to their wide coverage in protection, programmes being the “serious’ score” estimated in 1995. and relatively high benefit adequacy. too small in scope, targeting errors Social assistance, however, suffers from and implementation difficulties. Even Yet, food insecurity and poverty still fragmentation, low coverage and low though the Kyrgyz Republic has signed the affect much of the Kyrgyz population. transfer values – thus, these programmes International Labour Organisation’s Social Access to food, particularly economic do little to tackle poverty. Promotive Protection Floor initiative, no comprehensive access, is a major threat to household social protection is strongly encouraged income guarantees are in place for either food security. According to the National by international partners, particularly the children or people in working age. Promotive Statistical Office, poor households spend World Food Programme, and is making social protection is progressively being on average 69 percent of their monthly its way towards the national social recognized as a powerful tool in breaking the budgets on food items. Micronutrient protection agenda. The growing scope of poverty cycle, but it is still relatively small deficiencies, which result from inadequate productive safety nets, most of all, WFP’s in scope, and government ownership is low. quality and variability of the food consumed, Productive Measures of Social Development The main social assistance programme, affected many of the country’s children. In programme has the potential to break the the Monthly Benefit for Poor Families 2011, more than a third of children under cycle of poverty and food insecurity. The and Children, serves only extremely poor five were anaemic. In 2014, according to “Optimizing School Meals” programme has households with children, which excludes United Nations International Emergency undergone substantial reform with WFP many of the poor.