Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world with a per capita gross domestic product of US$135. Food insecurity is widespread, 64 percent of the population are poor, the child mortality rate is among the five highest in the world and the 39 percent prevalence of chronic malnutrition in children under 5 is reaching critical levels.
These factors exacerbate the low school enrolment, high drop-out rates, especially among girls, and high rates of illiteracy. The southeastern counties are the most affected: there are high levels of chronic food insecurity and malnutrition, low school enrolment and a wide gender gap in the upper primary school grades. The Government’s commitment to development of the southeast is evident in county-level development agendas that prioritize improved access to basic education and social services.
To support the Government, WFP proposes a development-oriented school feeding programme to
The southeastern region requires a long-term development approach, so it will be addressed separately from the emergency school feeding programme in the regions under the protracted relief and recovery operation, which focuses on reintegration of returning internally displaced people and refugees in counties characterized by transitory food insecurity and re-establishment of livelihoods.
Development project 10733.0 will provide nutritious meals for pre-school and primary schoolchildren and distribute take-home rations for girls in primary grades 4 to 6 as an incentive to keep them in school. It will also enhance the monitoring and management capacities of the Ministry of Education at all levels and increase coummunity participation.
In collaboration with the Government and United Nations partners, various components of the essential learning package will be combined to help to improve the learning environment and the health and nutrition of the schoolchildren.
Liberia’s 2008–2011 Poverty Reduction Strategy recognizes school feeding as essential for expanding access to education.
Development project 10733.0 is in line with the 2008–2012 United Nations Development Assistance Framework, which will be realigned with the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper cycle, and with WFP’s Strategic Objectives 4 and 5 through its support for expanded access to primary education, reduced gender disparity in access to education and government capacity-building; it also supports Millennium Development Goals 2 and 3.
