Highlights

 In 2015, WFP supported 741,200 food- insecure people, mainly under its protracted relief and recovery operation. One third of the people received cash-based transfers (CBT).

 In close collaboration with the Government, WFP builds long-term resilience of vulnerable communities affected by natural disasters and .

 Nutrition education, women empowerment and institutional capacity are integrated into all WFP WFP Guatemala interventions. WFP promotes the principles of equality, no discrimination, transparency and

Country Brief accountability among its implementing partners.

WFP Assistance 6 Month Restoring Food 6 Month Total Total Received Total Total Received Net Funding Security and Net Funding Requirements (in USD) Requirements (in USD) Requirements Livelihoods for Requirements Country Programme (in USD) (in USD) (in USD)* Vulnerable Groups (in USD)* Guatemala 200641 Affected by Recurrent (Jan.2015-Dec. 2019) 12.1 m Shocks in CA 22 m - countries 42 m 5.8 m (55%) 63 m (67%) (72%) *September 2016 - February 2017 Regional PRRO 200490 (Jan.2014-Dec.2017) *September 2016 – February 2017 The integrated strategy of the country programme (CP) has three components: i) to prevent and reduce The protracted relief and recovery operation (PRRO) malnutrition among children aged 6-23 months by supports the Government’s response plan and providing specialized nutritious foods and nutrition provides food assistance in the form of food and/or education; ii) to build resilience and reduce cash-based transfers (CBT) to food-insecure vulnerability in disaster-prone communities through populations as an incentive to participate in asset food assistance for assets creation; and iii) to build smallholder farmers’ capacity to respond to market creation and to stimulate the local economy. To facilitate emergency response planning, the demands. Government embraces WFP’s food security assessment CP component 1 follows up on the implementation of methodologies, resilience building approach, and the Trust fund ‘Nutrition Capacity Strengthening Plan’ conditional food assistance for assets creation. People 200542 (2013-Jun.2016) which introduced Super assisted through this programme include: small Cereal Plus, known as Mi Comidita, along with a community education strategy in support of the ‘1000 farmers or seasonal workers without food reserves; Days Window of Opportunity’ interventions. households relying on as their main income; households with more than 50-75 percent of A pilot project within the Food Security Climate staple grains losses. Households led by females or with Resilience Facility (FoodSECuRE) supports the creation a pregnant or nursing women and/or children under 5 of productive assets such as water reservoirs. Subject at risk of malnutrition are prioritized for assistance. to resource availability, the pilot project could be scaled-up within the resilience component of the country programme. Two joint programmes (JP) fall under the CP: In Numbers (Emergency Food Security Assessment 2016) “Accelerating Progress towards the Economic Empowerment of Rural Women in the Polochic Valley" 2 m people affected by drought led by WFP, in collaboration with UN Women, FAO and IFAD, and "Food Security and Nutrition in Targeted 915,000 people in need of food assistance Municipalities of San Marcos" coordinated by 593,716 PAHO/WHO, with the participation of WFP, FAO and UNICEF. Both programmes aim at increasing the People Assisted 51% 49% quantity and quality of staple grain production. (Jan. – August 2016)

Main Credit: WFP/Miguel Vargas Corzantes August 2016 Photo Caption: CBT to drought-affected households of Jocotan, Chiquimula province in the dry corridor.

Operational Updates Country Background & Strategy  Under the Regional PRRO 200490, WFP continued

conditional food assistance to 118,502 people affected by the drought using food assistance and cash based transfers (CBT). Within the development framework of assistance, WFP provided a specialized nutritious food to 9,930 children aged 6-24 months in July. During the first half of 2016, WFP provided supplementary feeding to 30,883 children.

Capacity Development

 In addition to food assistance, South-South Triangular Cooperation (SSC) among Chile/Guatemala/WFP supports the use of biofortified maize and bean seeds among smallholder farmers in organizations included in the Purchase-for-Progress initiative.

 The regional capacity development project funded Guatemala has the highest stunting rate in Latin by the UK Department for International America and the Caribbean, and ranks among the Development (DfID) supports emergency five countries with the highest prevalence in the preparedness and response to recurrent disasters, world. Chronic undernutrition is strongly correlated particularly associated with drought and flooding. with poverty, poor living conditions, low education WFP and UNICEF work closely with the National levels, and inappropriate nutrition/feeding practices. Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED). Guatemala is one of the 10 countries categorized as Looking Ahead most susceptible to climate change, and the fourth most vulnerable to natural disasters in the region.  WFP Guatemala advocates for Zero Hunger in the Over the past two years, the prolonged dry spells context of its ongoing operations and the led to reduced harvests or complete crop failures of preparation of a country strategic plan, which will maize and beans, which has critically affected be fully aligned with Sustainable Development subsistence farmers. Goals 2 and 17, and the UN Development Assistance Framework, ensuring all partners’ WFP’s assistance aims: (i) to address the multiple engagement and adequate resourcing level. dimensions and underlying causes of food and  WFP will continue strengthening capacities of nutrition insecurity through the integrated approach government institutions and their technical staff to of its Country Programme, collecting evidence on ensure the sustainability and scaling up of WFP- the impact of interventions under the 1000 Days supported interventions within national strategies, Window of Opportunity, and promoting national policies and plans. ownership and scale-up of best practices; and (ii) to meet the immediate food needs and reduce acute  WFP food assistance using vouchers will be further malnutrition among the most vulnerable food developed relying on local retail network of shops insecure households and communities affected by and market fairs. shocks, and support the restoration of their Partnerships livelihoods. The CP is aligned with WFP’s Strategic Objectives 3 and 4, and the regional PRRO with  WFP closely coordinates with the Presidential Strategic Objective 1. Commission for the Reduction of Chronic Malnutrition; the Food Security and Nutrition WFP has been present in Guatemala since 1974. Secretariat (SESAN); the ministries of Agriculture, 2015 Human Development Index: Population: 16.02 million Livestock and Food (MAGA), Health (MSPAS) and 128 out of 188 Social Development (MIDES); and the National

Coordination Committee for Disaster Reduction. Chronic malnutrition: 47% among Income Level: Middle income children aged 6-59 months  As part of the UNDAF 2015-2019, WFP participates in the UN inter-agency groups of Sustainable Development and Social Development, and the Donors Task Force on Unaccompanied Migrant Children. WFP leads the UN Technical Emergency Team Development: Canada, Chile, Norway, Sweden, SDG-F (Spain) (UNETE) and the UN Information and Emergency: Brazil, Canada, European Commission, Germany, Guatemala, Republic of Korea, Switzerland, USA and UN CERF. Communication Technologies Group.

Contact info: Priscila Molina (e-mail: [email protected])

WFP Guatemala Country Brief Country Director: Mario Touchette August 2016 Further information: www.wfp.org/countries/guatemala