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Niger + 2 more

WFP Niger Country Brief, January 2017

Attachments

Highlights

  • The new Protracted Relief and Recover Operation (PRRO) 200961 “Strengthening resilience in Niger through an integrated multi-sector and multi-partner safety net approach” started. It will focus on two fundamentals pillars: the zero hunger objective and government capacity development.

  • At current operational levels of the new resilience project, USD 46 million are urgently needed for the implementation of activities for the next 6 months.

  • Due to lack of funding, WFP will not be able to assist 44 percent of planned school canteens.

WFP Assistance

WFP supports the Government in implementing a multi-sectoral, integrated community-based approach to building household and community resilience, supporting the same vulnerable people through a flexible combination of unconditional and conditional food assistance over a pluri-annual programme. The approach aims to reduce the impact of seasonal stresses and prevent a peak in acute malnutrition and mortality. The innovative integrated response includes food assistance for asset (through food and cash), nutrition specific and - sensitive activities, school meals and related programmes (such as school gardens and local milling and processing initiatives), local purchases from smallholder farmers, as well as unconditional food assistance during the lean season. This integrated safety net package is geographically concentrated in the most vulnerable areas allowing it to strengthen the core capacities and skills of key institutions and communities and those left behind. A special attention is put on gender.

Activities are implemented in the pre- and post-harvest period to assist rural communities in revitalizing infrastructure, improving agricultural production and diversifying rural incomes. They are linked to the promotion of local production and purchases. The resilience programme relies on a participatory process amongst others through the three-pronged approach (national, subnational and community levels) relying on the seasonal livelihood programming and community-based participatory planning.

Malian refugees will continue to be assisted under the existing PRRO. Unconditional food assistance along with nutritional supplementation for children 6-23 months is provided to Malian refugees in all camps and hosting sites. The PRRO will aim to move towards targeting on the basis of vulnerability and where possible promote the integration of asset creation activities.
The Food Security Cluster has been active since 2010. WFP coleads the Cluster with FAO and continues coordination activities with the Government and other humanitarian partners.

The Regional Emergency Operation provides flexible assistance through unconditional and conditional food distributions, and nutritional supplementation for children aged 6-23 months as well as emergency school meals. The assistance is provided to an increasing number of refugees in and out of camps, returnees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host populations affected by the insecurity in northern Nigeria