Afghanistan, May 2012

Heavy rains caused flash floods in the northern Afghan province of Saripul just a few days ago. A WFP team visited the village of Asia Abad to see how people were doing and what they needed. Many villagers had lost their homes and also their livelihoods - such as the crops in the fields, or their livestock. WFP is distributing High-Energy Biscuits and Plumpy’Doz, a ready-to-eat fortified food for children, as a measure to limit the risk of children becoming malnourished during these difficult times.

Photos: WFP/Sven Thelin.

Iraq: Ministry of Education and WFP Provide School Meals

The Government of Iraq is the main donor to WFP school meals in Iraq. WFP is working with the Ministry of Education to implement school meals programmes in the most food insecure districts of Iraq.

Nutritious Snacks Boost Academic Performance

At an elementary school in the Kurdistan region straddling the border between Turkey and Iraq, these little girls receive a daily meal that has all the vitamins and nutrients their bodies need to learn and grow. They’re among more than 500,000 children in these region who are getting an education and a warm meal with help from WFP.

All photos: WFP/Abeer Etefa

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Niger, Mangaize Refugee camp, 3 May 2012

In Niger, WFP has launched an emergency operation to support 3.9 million people, with a special focus on children under age two.  Around 35 percent of people being assisted will receive cash. Areas where cash transfers will be used have been carefully selected according to how well local markets are functioning, food availability and prices. The operation also includes food relief for Malian refugees and for returning Nigerien workers fleeing insecurity in northern Mali.
So far, around 11,300 metric tons of food assistance have been distributed to more than 1.1 million people since the scale up in November. Of these, 423,ooo people have been provided with support through food-for-work and cash-for-work activities in the worst-affected areas of the country. Around 11,0000 metric tons of food have been distributed through food-for-work and US$4.2 million through cash-for-work since November.
In the last week in April alone, around 264,000 people in Tahoua and Niamey regions benefitted from food for work activities, and more than 100,000 people through cash for work. In April and May, cash and food for work are being scaled up to reach one million people.

WFP Blanket feeding operation WFP provides Super Cereal and cooking oil to mothers with children under two years of age.  Before receiving the food WFP provides a demonstration on how to cook the Super Cereal.

Photo: WFP/Rein Skullerud

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Niger, Ouallam, Tolkobey village, 5 May 2012

One month after arriving at WFP, Executive Director Ertharin Cousin was out in the field in the central African nation of Niger, one of the countries most affected by the drought in the Sahel region. After the first day of her field trip, in which she traveled with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres, the WFP chief sent back this account of her experiences.
In the village of Tokolbey WFP is providing nutritional support for about 3,500 babies and their mothers. They are just some of the 39,000 children we are assisting in the Ouallam area, where malnutrition rates hover at the emergency level of 10-14 percent. The mothers line up in the hot sun with crying babies on their backs. Their smiles hide their worry.
Breastfeeding mothers are given a product called ‘Super Cereal’. A micro-nutrient rich corn-based blend, in these situations it is often the only tool available to ensure a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. The staff show the women how to mix the cereal  with water over a hot fire to make a yellow soup.

Supplementary feeding site, Tolkobey village (Ouallam) where WFP provides blanket supplementary feeding (BSF) to children aged between 6 and 23 months and to lactating women. The distribution is undertaken by our implementing partner NGO on the ground ABC Ecologie.

Photo: WFP/Rein Skullerud

Zimbabwe, Harare, April 2012

When Juliet Muchenga’s son passed away in 2011, well-wishers from her local church started donating food to her family. While this did not include any nutritional supplements, vital for her antiretroviral therapy treatment, she was grateful to at least be able to provide her five children and grandchildren with one meal per day. 
After two months, the church donations ceased and Juliet had no choice but to beg community members for food. “My situation was well known and I could see people trying to avoid me in the streets because they knew I was begging for food,” she says. “I lost respect for myself.”
After five months on WFP’s Health & Nutrition Programme receiving monthly nutritional supplements and food rations for her household, Juliet’s weight and health BMI have improved, as well as her self-respect and sense of independence.  

Top-Left Photo: Once the voucher and national ID numbers are certified using WFP’s internet-based system, the shop keeper receives instant, electronic payment for the food items.

Top-Right Photo: Juliet chooses to shop at a supermarket in Kuwadzana, a low-income suburb near her home. Using her voucher, she is able to collect 10kg of mealie meal (maize), 1.8kg of beans and 750mL of vegetable oil to share with her family. At the clinic, Juliet also collected 10kg of Super Cereal, a fortified nutritional supplement that WFP gives individual patients to support their treatment and nutritional rehabilitation.

Bottom Photo: When Juliet’s husband died, his family took ownership of their house but gave her this room to live in. Juliet shares it with three of her five children, and it serves as their bedroom, kitchen and living area. 

Photos: WFP/Victoria Cavanagh

Jordan, Irbid Governorate, Al-Ramtha, April 2012

WFP started distributing hot meals for around 1000 Syrians Refugees in the northern part of Jordan, in two locations (Prince Hashem Stadium with single men syrians and Bashabsheh Guests House with families accomodations), WFP is delivering local traditional different dishes on daily basis for one month. Feed back from beneficiaries: food is very good, they liked the food and thank WFP everyday. We have built a rub hall in the stadium location to accommodate the distribution of the hot meals and the beneficiaries we work with local authorities in the field to facilitate our work.

Another trip will be organized next week when WFP starts distributing the monthly food commodities for more than 15,000 Syrian refugees in different locations in Jordan.

Photo: WFP/Salah Malkawi

WFP and its partners are scaling up to reach some 8.8 million people across the Sahel region of Africa where drought has sparked a hunger crisis for the third time in recent years.

In particular: 

Situation in Niger: Even before the crisis, malnutrition rates were high - 20 percent Global Acute Malnutrition rate among children under two last year. Erratic rains and pest infestations have decimated harvests in centre and west. Cereal deficit of more than 500,000 metric tons. Prices for all cereals are well above the seasonal average for the past five years.

What we’re doing in Niger: WFP has launched an emergency operation to support 3.3 million people, with a special focus on children under two. Some 35 percent of people being assisted will receive cash. Over 600,000 people have already received support through food-for-assets and cash-for-work programmes.

Photos: WFP/Koko Masseme

Burao, northern Somalia, March 2012

In the first phase of the voucher project, the vouchers are being used to provide food assistance to the families of moderately malnourished children who are being treated through WFP’s targeted supplementary feeding programme, in lieu of a monthly family food ration.

Top: a woman and her child are receiving their WFP food vouchers. 

Bottom Left: a mother buys canned fish from a local vendor using a WFP food voucher.  In the first phase of the voucher project, there are 13 local traders registered to accept the vouchers, including those who, like this trader, deal in camel and goat meat, which are staples of the diet for most people in the largely pastoralist region and can play a vital role in improving nutritional status.

Bottom Right: Lul Haybe (far right, in blue) uses $10 worth of WFP food vouchers to buy two kilograms of camel meat from a local meat vendor.  “We are very satisfied now. The quality of the meat is good. I prefer fresh meat rather than canned fish,” she says. She will use the meat and food bought with her other WFP vouchers to feed the nine people in her family.  “Camel meat lasts longer than other meat,” she says.  Lul Haybe does not have a refrigerator, but will pay 1000 Somaliland shillings (about 17 cents) to rent refrigerator space to keep the meat fresh.

Photos: WFP/Challiss McDonough

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South Sudan, Maban county, Upper Nile State, February 2012

The humanitarian situation in South Sudan has deteriorated severely in recent months. The already fragile situation that existed at the time of independence from Sudan in July 2011 has been exacerbated by a range of factors including conflict and internal population displacement, the ongoing influx of refugees from Sudan, soaring food prices and poor harvests.
It is estimated that nearly 5 million out of a population of some 9 million South Sudanese will struggle to provide food for themselves this year – of these, more than a million are estimated to be severely food insecure. WFP is planning to provide food assistance to some 2.7 million people in 2012 and is preparing to scale up operations should the situation require.
In November 2011, when fighting broke out in Blue Nile State, Maban County become home to refugees from the Republic of Sudan. The fighting in Sudan’s Blue Nile State continues to force people to flee into South Sudan. Two settlements have been established by UNHCR in Upper Nile state – Doro and Jamam. Humanitarian assistance continues to the total estimated 80,000 refugees in Maban County. WFP is providing life-saving food assistance to all refugees in South Sudan.

Cereals (usually sorghum), pulses, salt and oil are the standard commodities in the food basket for refugees in South Sudan.

Photo: WFP/Ahnna Gudmunds

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South Sudan, Maban county, Upper Nile State, February 2012

The humanitarian situation in South Sudan has deteriorated severely in recent months. The already fragile situation that existed at the time of independence from Sudan in July 2011 has been exacerbated by a range of factors including conflict and internal population displacement, the ongoing influx of refugees from Sudan, soaring food prices and poor harvests.
It is estimated that nearly 5 million out of a population of some 9 million South Sudanese will struggle to provide food for themselves this year – of these, more than a million are estimated to be severely food insecure. WFP is planning to provide food assistance to some 2.7 million people in 2012 and is preparing to scale up operations should the situation require.
In November 2011, when fighting broke out in Blue Nile State, Maban County become home to refugees from the Republic of Sudan. The fighting in Sudan’s Blue Nile State continues to force people to flee into South Sudan. Two settlements have been established by UNHCR in Upper Nile state – Doro and Jamam. Humanitarian assistance continues to the total estimated 80,000 refugees in Maban County. WFP is providing life-saving food assistance to all refugees in South Sudan.

Hawa Elderib, mother of seven, is preparing a meal for her children and her sick mother in Jamam refugee camp.

Photo: WFP/Ahnna Gudmunds

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South Sudan, Maban county, Upper Nile State, February 2012

The humanitarian situation in South Sudan has deteriorated severely in recent months. The already fragile situation that existed at the time of independence from Sudan in July 2011 has been exacerbated by a range of factors including conflict and internal population displacement, the ongoing influx of refugees from Sudan, soaring food prices and poor harvests.
It is estimated that nearly 5 million out of a population of some 9 million South Sudanese will struggle to provide food for themselves this year – of these, more than a million are estimated to be severely food insecure. WFP is planning to provide food assistance to some 2.7 million people in 2012 and is preparing to scale up operations should the situation require.
In November 2011, when fighting broke out in Blue Nile State, Maban County become home to refugees from the Republic of Sudan. The fighting in Sudan’s Blue Nile State continues to force people to flee into South Sudan. Two settlements have been established by UNHCR in Upper Nile state – Doro and Jamam. Humanitarian assistance continues to the total estimated 80,000 refugees in Maban County. WFP is providing life-saving food assistance to all refugees in South Sudan.

HIn Jamam refugee camp is currently hosting more than 35,000 people accoring to UNHCR. WFP is currently preparing for the third food distribution in Jamam this year. 

Photo: WFP/Ahnna Gudmunds

Ethiopia, Dolo Ado March 2012

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Somali family at the Buramino camp, one of the five refugees camps forming Dolo Ado where, in total, live 146.000 people. Many families are fleeing due to lack of food in their homecountry, and to the conflict. 

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Meals in the refugee camp schools are provided through the school feeding programs, which are also managed by parents committee. Some of the teachers in Dolo Ado are refugees themselves, trained by humanitarian workers to work in emergency situations.

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Monthly rations of oil, to the refugee camp. A bar-coded ration card is given to each family, for food rations and other relief items. The ration card is a very important document in the camp. Women generally are the ones to go to the distribution centers.

Photos: WFP/Jiro Ose