Highlights
In October WFP assisted 101,000 people through nutrition activities and the school meals programme .
The country office is facing a complete lack of funding for food assistance for assets interventions.
Country Brief
WFP Assistance
6 Month The CP 200846 has three objectives: Total Total Received Net Funding Requirements (in USD) Requirements (in Reduce undernutrition among young children, 6- Country (in USD) Programme USD)* 23 months, through stunting prevention and the CP 200846 treatment of moderate acute malnutrition among (2016-2020) 25.8 m 39.7m - (65%) children 6-59 months; and provide nutritional support for undernourished people living with *December 2016 – May 2017 HIV and TB. Improve access to education and help to increase Government capacities for developing and managing a sustainable home grown school
meals programme. The Country Programme (CP) 200846 started in April 2016. This 5-year CP (2016-2020) is WFP’s Strengthen national capacities, both at contribution to the three outcomes of the United Government and community levels, for scaling Nations strategic cooperation framework (UNDAF) up food security and nutrition interventions and and is aligned with some of the priorities of the connect agricultural productions with sustainable Government of Guinea-Bissau strategic and markets. operational plan for 2015-2020 (“Terra Ranka”).
Built on lessons learned from previous operations, the CP fosters Government and community ownership of an integrated multi-sector approach in social protection - such as a national school meals programme that includes a home grown programme, cash-based transfers for asset creation and for nutritional activities - and an integrated approach to stunting prevention in line with the national nutrition strategy. The CP aims to enhance Government’s capacities including in early warning and food security and nutrition assessment. In Numbers The people assisted through the programme include primary school children; undernourished children aged 6–59 months; undernourished people living 49% 51% with HIV (PLHIV) and tuberculosis (TB) on treatment 101,000 People Assisted and their families, and vulnerable smallholder farmers. Cash-based transfers will be piloted in the November 2016 last quarter of 2016 and will be expanded as the country office gains more experience and receives additional cash contributions.
Main Credit: WFP/Tcherno Seidi Photo Caption: WFP Guinea-Bissau staff at a discussion November 2016 session organized at the occasion of the launch of the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence campaign.
Operational Updates Country Background & Strategy
WFP worked in partnership with UN Women, other UN agencies and the Government to launch the 16 days campaign against sexual and gender-based violence at national level. WFP funded the broadcasting on national television of a documentary on gender-based violence in Guinea-Bissau. WFP finalized a study on food and nutrition vulnerability of the people living with HIV and/or TB in Guinea- Bissau. The study aims to provide WFP and other stakeholders with the most recent data. The study was conducted by an international consultant and the data collection undertaken in 6 Regions (Bafatá, Biombo, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio and Bissau) interviewing 11,252 people. The results showed that 4.5 percent of the population are in severe food insecurity, 15.6 percent in moderate food insecurity, 18 percent in fragile food security and 61.9 percent in food security.
On 3 November the Brazilian Cooperation Agency and Despite of considerable economic potential, Guinea-Bissau WFP’s Center of Excellence Against Hunger conducted has long been constrained by political turmoil and social a 5-day mission to Bissau to support the unrest that hampered economic development. The GDP of implementation of sustainable national school meals USD1.057 billion and GNI per capita USD590, Guinea- programme. As part of the strategy to collect information, the mission organized a 2-day workshop Bissau is one of the poorest and most fragile low income with the participation of national and international countries today. Over 69 percent of Bissau-Guineans people stakeholders in the education sector. A new mission is live below the poverty line on less than 2 USD per day with expected in February 2017 to finalize and present the higher poverty rates among people aged 15-25 and women. final strategy for Brazilian support to the Ministry of Chronic food insecurity is compounded by shocks related to Education. political instability, irregular rainfall and volatility of prices From 7 to 11 November, WFP participated in the for imported rice and local cashew nut production for Harmonized Framework Analysis. The results of the export. analysis shows that Guinea-Bissau is in phase 2 Nearly half the population above 15 years old are illiterate, (under pressure) and the most affected Regions are Cacheu, Gabu and Oio. with a wide gap in illiteracy between men (45 percent) and women (71 percent). Net enrolment, attendance and On 23 November, WFP and the Ministry of Agriculture completion rates at primary school are extremely low, with presented in Bissau the results of the Food Security disparities among regions; 27 percent boys and 51 percent and Nutrition Monitoring System (FSNMS) survey girls are out of school. At 3.3 percent, HIV prevalence is conducted in seven out of nine regions of the country. among the highest in West Africa, with women more The data collected from 5 to 24 September 2016 on 3,173 households in 7 regions was validated by the affected than men. Poor diet, inadequate feeding practices main stakeholders of the nutrition sector in Guinea- for young children, and high childhood morbidity contribute Bissau. The main results show that in September to global acute malnutrition rates of over 6 percent among 2016, 30.6 percent of households were in food children under 5, and chronic malnutrition rates of 27.6 insecurity, which represent about 331,745 people. percent countrywide. This rate is much higher than the 2015 rate of 10.5 percent. Food insecurity rates are high in all regions WFP will emphasize on capacity development of of the country, but are higher in Cacheu (40.8 Government institutions and synergies with multi-sector percent), Gabu (35 percent), Oio (32.2 percent), partners to optimize interventions. Interventions are where rates exceed the national average of 30.6 mutually supportive on school-centred approach. A regional percent. gender strategy and a gender analysis study conducted in early 2016 will guide implementation of the CP.
Challenges WFP has been present in Guinea2015 Bissau Human since Development 1974. Index: Population: 1.8 million 178 out of 188 On 25 November, the teachers’ unions announced the end of the strikes in public school but many schools remained Chronic malnutrition: 27.6% of closed at the end of November. This is impacting WFP’s Income Level: Low Income assistance to the most vulnerable school children. children between 6-59 months
Partnerships Donors
On 25 November, letters of understanding with two USA, European Commission, Japan national NGOs have been signed for food distribution and the monitoring of the school meals programme in the Bolama-Bijagos islands.
Contact info: Elber Nosolini ([email protected])
WFP Guinea-Bissau Country Brief Country Director: Kiyomi Kawaguchi Further information: www.wfp.org/Guinea-Bissau November 2016