In Numbers

WFP provides capacity-strengthening activities aimed at enhancing the Government-run National School Feeding Programme (NSFP) that reaches 260,000 children (125,000 girls and 135,000 boys) in 2,500 primary schools.

The budget for national school feeding doubled in 2019, reaching US$16 million per year. The Tunisian Government invested US$ 1.7 million in the WFP construction and equipment of a pilot central kitchen and Country Brief development of a School Food Bank. November 2019

Operational Context Operational Updates

Tunisia has undergone significant changes since the • The implementation of the agreement with the Tunisian Revolution of January 2011. The strategic direction of the Ministry of Agriculture - Regional Commissariat for Government of Tunisia currently focuses on strengthening Agricultural Development of began in December, democracy, while laying the groundwork for a strong with the first field assessment mission and discussions with cooperating partners. The Government of Tunisia requested economic recovery. Tunisia has a gross national income (GNI) per capita of US$10,275 purchasing power parity WFP to provide technical assistance and capacity- strengthening activities as part the framework of the (UNDP, 2018). The 2018 United Nations Development International Fund for Agricultural Development’s (IFAD) Programme (UNDP) Human Development Index (HDI) ranks PROFITS project, which aims to improve the living Tunisia 95 out of 189 countries ,and 58th on the Gender conditions of vulnerable rural populations in the southern Inequality Index (GII 2018). Siliana region through the development of agricultural value WFP has positioned itself in a technical advisory role chains. • through capacity-strengthening activities, providing On 19 December, WFP participated the “strategic data on HIV Workshop” organized by UNAIDS in coordination with technical assistance to the Ministry of Education (ME) and the Ministry of Health - Basic health care services. WFP Ministry of Agriculture (MA), as well as working with other presented the Fill the Nutrient Gap (FNG) and Cost of diet ministries and national stakeholders aiming to improve initiative that will contribute to create HIV-sensitive evidence national school feeding and other social protection to inform the implementation of Tunisia’s 2018-2022 programmes in Tunisia. National Strategic Plan for HIV-AIDS and STIs, as part of WFP’s capacity strengthening support to the national social

protection programmes. With a particular focus in migrant and refugee persons of concern, the assessment could also better inform how to align the national strategy with the Emergency Preparedness and Response in case of influx of migrants and refugees from Libya. • The WFP Head of Office had an introductory meeting with the Minister of Social Affairs, who recognised the importance of WFP’s technical support to the National School Feeding Programme as a safety net across the health and education sector. The Minister also welcomed WFP’s

aim to contribute to the development of other national social protection programmes and the operational systems that underpin them, such as evidence-based production for

better targeting and delivery mechanisms, registries for social protection and M&E systems. A joint technical

meeting took place on 12 December to prepare for a 2018 Human Development Index: Population: 11 million 95 out of 189 workshop aimed at identifying synergies and prepare a roadmap for an effective cooperation plan to broaden

GNI per Capita (PPP): WFP’s involvement in the area of social protection in Income Level: Lower middle US$ 3,690 Tunisia.

Photo: A group of children standing outside the refurbished Contact info: Fatimata Sow Sidibé ([email protected]) kitchen of primary school Cebalat Ben Amar, Ariana Head of Office: Fatimata Sow Sidibé Governorate. Further information: www.wfp.org/countries/tunisia WFP/Rabeb Azouzi

WFP Country Strategy thematic groups, while ensuring strategic input in other relevant areas such as education, health, social cohesion, migration and infrastructure. Tunisia Country Strategic Plan (2018-2022) • WFP accompanied a delegation of the Government of Tunisia to the 21st Global Child Nutrition Forum (GCNF) Total Requirement Allocated Contributions (in US$) (in US$) from 2-6 December. The Tunisian delegation included a Senior Adviser to the Minister of Education and the 4.3 m 3.2 m Director of the Office of School Services (OOESCO) in

2019 Requirement Six-Month Net Funding charge of school feeding programs. Tunisia had the Requirements (in US$) (in US$) (January – June 2020) chance to follow up with representatives of the MENA region on the Tunis Declaration signed in the margins of 1.1 m 0 m the 20th GCNF held in Tunis, and to renew the call for the region’s governments and partners to actively support the development of sustainable school meals Strategic Result 5: Developing countries have strengthened capacities to implement the SDGs to maximise the opportunity for every child to thrive. Strategic Outcome 1: National institutions in Tunisia have WFP Tunisia and Ministry of Education strengthened capacity to implement enhanced school meals and social protection programmes which advance food security and nutrition by together to fight against gender-based 2022. violence. Focus area: Root Causes Activities: WFP and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and • Provide policy advice and technical assistance to national the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) collaborated institutions implementing school meals and social protection with the Ministry of Education to organize a series of events programmes. with the Office of School Service’s (OOESCO) senior staff and Monitoring school communities on gender equality and the prevention of gender-based violence (GBV). • WFP works with the United Nations Office for Project On 5 December, 20 OOESCO Heads of Unit participated in a Services (UNOPS) and the Regional Commissary for half-day workshop featuring documentaries on GBV which Education (Ministry of Education) to monitor the progress were discussed together with a panel comprised by the towards upgrading the infrastructure and equipment of six Ministry of Education’s Gender Expert, a representative of selected school kitchens and three “satellite” schools linked UN Women and WFP. On 6 December, 66 students from to the pilot central kitchen in , eight high schools across Tunisia got together to use art to governorate. The upgrading is now finalised, and the tree represent different types of gender-based violence. To conclude the 16 Days of Activism Against GBV campaign, satellite kitchens are now benefitting fully from the hot meals prepared in Nadhour central kitchen serving more the Minister of Education attended the event organized on than 600 children with daily meals. The six decentralised 10 December in the primary school of in the kitchens in Ariana, , and are governorate. A group of 89 students, boys and were equipped and ready to start operations in January girls aged 5 to 10, proposed slogans against GBV, for equal 2020. participation of girls and boys in school life, as well as to discourage gender stereotypes, false representations and Challenges gender-based bias.

• WFP Tunisia, in collaboration with WFP Libya, is closely monitoring the fluid situation which may result in an influx of refugees and migrants into Southern Tunisia. WFP is the leading UN agency on food security emergency preparedness for this eventuality (Inter-Agency Contingency Plan - IACP). WFP Tunisia was set to launch a Logistics Capacity Assessment

Partnerships

• On 20 December, WFP Tunisia participate in the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework’s (UNSDCF) Common Country Assessment (CCA) workshop organized by the UN Resident Coordinator and the Tunisian think tank Solidar to present the results that emerged from the CCA’s 12 thematic conversations. Discussion followed between the agencies on the main

orientations of the upcoming CCA. WFP leveraged its role as Donors pen holder for the food security and climate change • Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), Ministry of Agriculture - Regional Commissariat for WFP Tunisia Country Brief Agricultural Development of Siliana (CRDA), UNAIDS - December 2019 Unified Budget, Results and Accountability Framework

(UBRAF)