Zaatari, Jordan, 26 March 2013

On the first day of school feeding in Zaatari, Ahmed and his friends receive date bars from WFP and ask, “can we have snacks every day?”.

The World Food Programme is committed to helping Syrian refugees receive their education, that’s why we are providing these mid-day nutritious snacks to students at Zaatari camp schools, giving them the extra boost of energy they need to get the most our of their lessons.

Photos: WFP/Dina El-Kassabi

World Water Day

Top Photo: Kenya, Turkana, Etuko 3rd March 2012

FOOD-FOR-ASSET, ETUKO WATER PAN
Three years ago, Elizabeth Narot Titim and her community had to walk almost 10 kilometres to fetch water for her family, but now, thanks to a WFP-sponsored food-for-assets project, that distance has been cut to about 2 kilometres.
Elizabeth is a beneficiary of the Etuko water pan project in the Turkana district of northwestern Kenya.  The community in Etuko built the water reservoir in collaboration with WFP and the Turkana Rehabilitation Project (TRP), part of the Ministry of Water and Irrigation. The reservoir consists in two water large basins. The largest water basin is fenced to prevent livestock and wild animals to reach the water, animals are allowed to drink form the smaller basin.
Under food-for-assets (FFA) programmes, beneficiaries receive food assistance as they work on projects aimed at improving both their ability to cope with drought and also their food security status. Each family sends one person to work on the project, and with the support of the donors such as the EU, WFP provides food for the entire household.
At the Etuko water pan, the community now have water for both household and livestock needs.
“Before the project, we had to walk long distances to fetch water but now we have more time to concentrate on our farms,” says Elizabeth.
In the photo: The women walk to pick up their jerry cans and buckets to collect the water they need.

Middle Left Photo: 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. 

Middle Right Photo: Niger, Dosso, Village Koumari: the village is located in the department of Dogondutchi, North- Eastern of Niamey.

As of November 2011, 7 percent of the region’s population was considered severely food insecure. Maradi has been particularly affected by pest infestations resulting in heavy crop losses; the early and systematic rise in food prices compounded by variable and often limited availability of cereals on the market; the return of migrant workers following insecurity in Nigeria; and the reduction in fuel subsidies in Nigeria, affecting food and fuel costs in southern areas of Niger. The situation of pastoralists is of particular concern as pastureland and water for livestock is becoming increasingly limited, compounded by insecurity in neighboring Nigeria which has disrupted traditional movement of herders. Vulnerable households have relied increasingly on negative coping mechanisms to meet basic food and other survival needs, including: migrating in larger numbers and for longer periods – affecting children’s school attendance; selling productive assets; and reducing the quality, quantity, and variety of food consumed. The situation of children is of particular concern. The June 2011 national nutrition survey found acute malnutrition prevalence of 12.2 percent among children 6-59 months; among children 6-23 months, the prevalence was 21.4 percent. The nutrition situation is anticipated to have deteriorated further as a result of the compounded food security shocks in the area since end 2011. Maradi has been targeted under WFP’s preemptive response to the crisis since November 2011, benefitting from food and cash-for-work, to keep families in place and children in school, and targeted supplementary feeding activities in 150 CRENAMs (nutrition feeding centers) in the region for the treatment of moderately malnourished children. Since the scale-up, as of end April WFP has assisted 204,498 beneficiaries in the region.

WFP implements CFW for 6,426 beneficiaries in collaboration with national NGO partner AREN. Thus far, CFA 83,170,800 have been distributed (more than USD 166,340). Of the CFW 918 project participants, 397 (43%) are female. Of the participants, 45 are labour-constrained (of which 33 are female), and benefit from unconditional cash transfers. Project works began in January, focusing on de-weeding, construction of half-moons that enable water conservation for several planting situations such as: fruit trees, crop production and forage for livestock consumption. Of the 358 hectares planned, 320 hectares have been worked as of 18 April which means that the project is at 89% of its completion.

Bottom Photo: Kenya, Turkana, Songot 3rd March 2012

FOOD-FOR-ASSET, ROCK WATER CATCHMENT PROJECT
This community in Songot, in northwestern Kenya’s Turkana region, have been receiving food assistance for many years. However, 3 years ago, WFP changed is approach to food assistance in these communities to one that helps communities build a more sustainable future.
Now, the community members are taking part in WFP-supported food-for-assets (FFA) programmes, where they receive food assistance as they work on projects aimed at improving their ability to cope with drought, as well as improving their overall foodsecurity.
“We are happier with food-for assets because the assets we create will be with us for a long time,” says Simon who is also the chairman of the Songot rock catchment project. The project is implemented by the community in collaboration with WFP and the Turkana Rehabilitation Project (TRP), part of the Ministry of Water and Irrigation.
 
In the FFA programme, is each family sends one person to work on the project, and with the support of the donors such as the EU, WFP provides food for the entire household.
Through the Songot rock catchment project, the community now have water for household and livestock needs and are also growing vegetables and fruits through irrigation.
According to Simon, women of the community previously had to trek long distances in search of water for household needs, and the men also had to walk long distances in search of pasture and water for their livestock. This exposed them to insecurity as they were competing with other pastoralists for scarce resources.
“Now we no longer have to go to hostile territory since we have our own water source right here at Songot,” pointed out Simon.

Photos: WFP/Rein Skullerud

Bangladesh: Working To Enhance Resilience to Natural Disasters and Climate Change

Top Photo: As a first step, WFP approaches ultra-poor men and women to identify community assets that they regard as the most useful to increase their resilience to natural disasters and the effects of climate change. Possible projects include the construction or repair of canals, ponds, roads, and embankments.

Photo: WFP/Rein Skullerud

Bottom Left Photo: Training sessions are scheduled during the monsoon season, when work is made difficult by heavy rains. Participants learn about disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and survival during crisis.

Photo: WFP/GMB Akash

Bottom Left Photo: In the third year of the programme cycle, female labourers and wives of male labourers participate in business development trainings which prepare them to receive a cash grant for investment – thus strengthening their families’ economic resilience. In 2013, approximately 17,200 women will receive such a grant to be invested in income generating activities such as livestock rearing, agricultural crop production or small-scale business ventures. For twelve months, they will also receive a monthly cash allowance to cushion their family economy while they focus on their investment.

Photo: WFP/Rawnak Matin

wfp:

WFP Food Assistance Returns To Kismayo (Somalia)

30 January 2013

Top: WFP has set up five nutrition centres around the city, where pregnant and nursing women and young children are checked for malnutrition. At this one in Kismayo General Hospital, women and children line up to be assessed and, if necessary, registered for the supplementary feeding programme.

Middle Left: A member of WFP’s partner organisation at the centre hands out 30-day rations of Plumpy’Sup, a ready-to-use supplementary food, to those with registration cards. So far, two thirds of those needing treatment are children.

Middle Right:All eyes are on this bowl of yellow split peas being handed out at the hot meals centre. Fruit is also distributed daily, alongside rice and split peas. A recent rapid food security and nutrition assessment found that half the households in Kismayo are struggling to meet their daily needs.

Bottom: This young woman has just had her pot filled with cooked rice. With so many variables in their lives - the security situation and the seasonal rains to name just two - it is important that the poorest have enough to eat while they rebuild their lives after so many years of conflict.

Photos: WFP/David Orr

Turkey , Yayladagi (Hatay region), 2 February 2013

Syrian Refugee Camps

The sound of shelling rumbles in the background from across the border from refugee camps in the Hatay region of Turkey.  Syrian refugees here receive electronic food vouchers in an “e-card” programme run by WFP and the Turkish Red Crescent.

Top: Hossein Mohammad, shopping in the Turkish town of Altinozu, is a restaurant owner who was wounded in the fighting. “All of a sudden I got six bullets in my stomach,” he says. “We came here to seek medical treatment – not because we wanted to leave Hama.” he says. Two of his sons have died in the conflict.

Center: The e-card voucher system means that money is spent in local shops and boosts the local economy. This family bakery has seen its business triple. They began baking Arabic flat bread to cater to the taste of the Syrian refugees, and they now also deliver to the camps.

Bottom Left: Yacoub Kantar, a mechanic, is shopping in Yayladagi for a family of 12. In this town, 15 shops are taking part in the programme, including butchers’ and bakeries. The WFP e-card provides a monthly budget of 80 Turkish Lira (US$45) per person to spend in local shops.

Bottom right: In the pink – Jihan, who’s eight years old, poses in front of her tent. Most tents house eight or nine people.

Photos: WFP/Jane Howard

Helping Tens Of Thousands Made Homeless By Mozambique Floods

WFP and the rest of the humanitarian community in Mozambique have mobilized to help the large numbers of people displaced by seasonal flooding in southern Mozambique. The needs are huge and - with ominous weather systems looming on the horizon - the struggle is far from over.

Top Photo: Joana Tembe lost her home to the floods. Here at Hokwe camp, she waits in line for food from WFP for herself and her family.

Bottom left Photo: Most of those in the camps for the flood-affected are women and children. Many of the menfolk from this part of Mozambique are working in the mines in South Africa

Bottom right Photo: This woman will divide the sack of WFP maize she carries among five households at Chihaquelane camp

Photos: WFP/Leonor Fernandez

Tanzania, January 2013

The U.S. Ambassador to the UN Food and Agriculture Agencies in Rome, David Lane, has completed a one-week tour of WFP, FAO, IFAD and USAID projects throughout Tanzania. The trip gave him the chance to see firsthand how the U.S. government is working with WFP, IFAD, and FAO to support Tanzanian smallholder farmers, business, and the government in improving the food security situation for the country’s most vulnerable.

Top: Ambassador Lane talks with a District Government official while watching Masaai warriors dance at Arkatan Primary School, Monduli, Arusha, where WFP is providing school lunches to around 500 students.

Bottom left – After touring the warehouse rehabilitated through the Purchase for Progress initiative, Ambassador Lane meets the local farmers. Jikuzeni Kware SACCOS has over 600 members, 285 of whom are women. Each member cultivates between 0.5-3 hectares of land, primarily sunflowers, maize and beans.

 Bottom middle – Ambassador Lane helps out in the weekly food distribution in Sakila Village, where WFP is implementing a Food for Assets project. Food is distributed based on work done by community members on a contouring project, protecting some 200 hectares of land from degradation.

Bottom right – Ambassador Lane helps dish up a nutritious lunch of maize and pulses to students at Arkatan Primary School, Monduli, Arusha.

Photographs: WFP/Jen Kunz

Bangladesh, June 2011

Students who attend the Hat Sarutua Primary School in Sirajganj, Bangladesh. WFP is actively engaged with the government on safety net reforms and is piloting innovative food and cash-based safety nets, such as the Food Security for the Ultra poor (FSUP) project which helps 30,000 ultra-poor women by providing cash grants and training sessions. It also contributes indirectly towards education for girl children. One of the student’s (second from left) mother is an FSUP beneficiary. Prior to becoming a beneficiary, she could not afford education for her daughters. After investing and reinvesting the cash grant received from WFP now she is able to send her daughters to school. 

Photos: WFP/Amy Johansson

The set of photographs represents events tied to the World Food Programme that took place during 2012.

Bangladesh, : Village: Kandarpara, Union: Kalaiaharipur,Uz: Sadar, district:Sirajganj



Under WFP guidance the FSUP Nutrition Program in Serajganj District is implemented by National Development Program (NDP), Technical Assistance is given by Action Contre La Faim Internationale (ACF International).

Juleka Begum 22 years old she used to be malnourished before giving birth after visitng the clinic in the village she received treatment and advice and is now healthy, has a daughter 8months named Maria.
”I didnt know how important is was to eat vegetables and now I know how to feed my children. Juleka is now properly nourished and healthy.



Photo: WFP/Rein Skullerud