Highlights

 The President of the Plurinational State of , , participated in an WFP event organised to distribute a kit of construction tools for people assisted under IR-EMOP 201021.

 The Government declared a National Emergency for the drought on November 21, through Supreme Decree 2987. WFP Bolivia

Country Brief

WFP Assistance IR-EMOP 201021: 6 Month Total Total Total Total Received Net Funding Assistance to the Requirements Received Requirements (in USD) Bolivia Country Requirements drought affected (in USD) (in USD) (in USD) Programme (in USD)* populations of the

Oruro Department CP 200381 5.2 m 1 m 1,315,069 (Jan. 13 – Dec. 17) 12.8 m IR-EMOP 201021 1,315,069 (100%) (40%) (68%) (Sep 16 – Dec 16)

*December 2016 - May 2017

The country programme (CP) has been designed in consultation with the Bolivian Government. It is in line The main objective of the IR-EMOP is to save lives with the Country Strategy Document (2011), the and protect livelihoods of 40,000 people affected by United Nations Development Assistance Framework the drought in the Department of Oruro. Further, it (UNDAF) 2013-2017, Bolivia's National Development aims at supporting their food security through two

Plan and the new Political Constitution. voucher distributions, one unconditional and one conditional upon the rehabilitation of traditional The overall objective of the CP is to strengthen local wells. At the end of the IR-EMOP a Post Distribution and national capacities to break the intergenerational Monitoring exercise will be carried out to assess cycle of hunger. Specifically, WFP aims to: needs for further interventions.  enhance food and nutrition security by improving

education, nutrition and health throughout the life cycle;  strengthen communities' resilience by mitigating shocks and adapting to climate change;  link the demand of local food-based assistance programmes to small farmers, thereby transforming food and nutrition assistance into productive investments in local communities; and  strengthen Government capacity to design, manage and implement tools, policies and programmes for assessing and reducing hunger.

These objectives are to be reached through the three components of the CP:

1. sustainable and productive school feeding; 2. strengthening of government nutrition programmes; and Credit: WFP/Morelia Erostegui Caption: Schoolchildren forming a line to receive their 3. livelihood development and disaster risk breakfast, provided by WFP Bolivia, in the Pisili Community, reduction. Municipality of Tarabuco, Chuquisaca, Bolivia.

All components include capacity development and augmentation activities to support the Government to manage its own food based programmes and strengthen the implementation of food security and sovereignty policies. Main Credit: WFP/Katherine Coronado Photo Caption: The Bolivia Country Director, Elisabeth Faure, the November 2016 Governor of Oruro, Victor Hugo Vasquez, and the , Evo Morales, singing and saluting the National Anthem in Oruro, Bolivia.

Operational Updates Country Background & Strategy  WFP has started the final voucher distribution under IR-EMOP 201021.

 WFP is working with the Korean Government for a proposal for 2018-2020. The main goal of the proposal is risk preparedness and disaster risk reduction.

 WFP is participating in the Common Country Assessment/United Nations Development Assessment Framework (CCA/UNDAF) process.

 The process to launch the Advisory Committee of the Strategic Review/Country Strategy Plan has started with the leadership of the Ministry of External Relations.

 WFP will participate in the 2017 Global Dinner, a parallel event to the World Economic Forum that consists in a high-level dinner between several stakeholders and institutions, to raise awareness on food and nutritional challenges in the country. The event will be hosted by the Restaurant Gustu.

 WFP has made an institutional video involving all of its activities in Bolivia. The video will be used for Despite the encouraging progress on the social and fundraising purposes. macroeconomic front, the Plurinational State of Bolivia still faces major development challenges. 39 Challenges percent of the population lives below the poverty line  The nutrition and livelihoods components of the CP (UDAPE 2015). The level of undernourishment is 15.9 are on hold since April 2016 due to lack of funding. percent, the highest in South America (SOFI, 2015). The only active component is School Feeding, On the Global Hunger Index, Bolivia scores 16.9, the however reaching only 62.5% of the planned highest score in South America and third in the LAC children. region after Haiti and Guatemala.

 Due to the water supply shortages in the city of La WFP’s support in the country is designed around three Paz, the Government declared a national main objectives: i) the strengthening of food and emergency on November 21. La Paz, Sucre, Potosi nutrition interventions throughout the life cycle, and Cochabamba are experiencing a lack of water and rationing. particularly for the most food insecure populations; ii) humanitarian assistance, disaster risk reduction and Partnerships climate change adaptation; and iii) the promotion of diversified food production, dietary diversity and  The CO has signed an agreement with Catholic marketing conditions favourable to smallholder Relief Services to implement IR-EMOP 201021. farmers. WFP also supports key government social The Country Director travelled to Spain and Italy protection strategies such as the Complementary where she met with potential donors; she also School Feeding Law to enhance education and the continues to meet with the Private Sector and High local economy, and the Bono Juana Azurduy Net Worth Individuals to seek potential funding. programme to support the health and nutrition of pregnant women and infants. Impact of Limited Funding WFP's programmes are in line with t the recently  The office is facing continuing challenges related to approved national Five-Year Development Plan 2020 the limited number of staff. that emphasizes the need for the social development  WFP Bolivia received only 40% of the total required of vulnerable populations. for its Country Programme and urgently needs 1 WFP has been present in Bolivia since 1963. million to implement the activities planned for the next six months. 2015 Human Development Index: Population: 11.4 million 119 out of 188

Chronic malnutrition in rural areas: Income Level: Lower middle 25% of children under 5

Contact info: [email protected] WFP Bolivia Country Brief Country Director: Elisabeth Faure November 2016 Further information: www.wfp.org/countries/bolivia