The PRRO seeks to provide food assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPs) who remain highly dependent on the Government of Azerbaijan and humanitarian assistance. The project will help food insecure and vulnerable IDPs, particularly women and children, to maintain minimum nutritional status.
The Food for Education programme will address declining enrolment rates of primary school aged children and help stabilize attendance.The primary objective of Food for Work is to increase employment opportunities for food insecure rural households.
Findings from the 2005 WFP Food Security and Nutrition Survey were incorporated into the design of the PRRO, and the project is aligned with Government policies and priorities. The proposed project also complements the ongoing activities of Government and partners by reinforcing current assistance and benefit programmes for IDPs and vulnerable local resident populations. Furthermore, the PRRO is aligned with the PRSP of Azerbaijan, and will contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; achieve universal primary education and promote gender equality and empower women.
The PRRO, by assisting vulnerable IDPs, school children and food insecure households, is aligned with three of the five Strategic Objectives (SO) of WFP: protect livelihoods and enhance resilience to shocks (SO2), support improved nutrition of vulnerable groups (SO3) and support access to education and reduce gender disparity (SO4).
WFP will provide food assistance to 154,000 beneficiaries, 70 percent women and children, in 11 districts in the initial stage of the proposed project. Current and ongoing Government of Azerbaijan initiatives, such construction of new housing settlements and allocations of land, aim to improve the overall living conditions of the IDPs and reduce reliance on food assistance.
