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