Operations

The conflict in the Casamance region of Senegal is West Africa’s oldest and most persistent, dating back to 1989. Although never approaching the scale of many other conflicts in the region, it causes significant suffering among the people of Casamance, and just across Senegal’s borders, causing socio-economic decline and preventing development.

Upon request of the Government of Senegal, WFP is proposing a successor PRRO for the period 2008-2009, based on existing government strategy documents and the findings of a number of recently conducted studies/evaluations/assessments.

The proposed PRRO is in line with the second Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP II) 2006-2010 that includes a return to peace and security, development of local infrastructure, production and economic activity in the Casamance region, the Programme for the Recovery of Economic and Social Activities in the Casamance (PRAESC) and UN strategies. It also supports the national Nutrition Enhancement Programme 2007-2010 and the Government’s ten year programme for education and training 2000-2010.

The proposed PRRO covers the two regions of Casamance (Ziguinchor and Kolda). As part of WFP’s handover strategy and based on lessons learnt from the previous operation, it envisages refocused interventions and newly adapted targeting, with regional technical committees providing a built-in flexibility to adapt to the needs of beneficiaries, thereby anticipating a significant reduction in the amount of food resources to be mobilised compared to the previous PRRO.

WFP food assistance will be targeted especially to zones with large concentrations of IDPs and returnees, and will respond to:

• strategic Objective 2 through Food-For-Recovery as an investment to rebuild and protect human and productive assets in order to encourage a social and economic recovery;
• strategic Objective 3 through Food for Nutrition awareness raising activities;
• strategic Objective 4 through Food-For-Education to promote social cohesion and stability by facilitating the return of displaced and returnee children to a normal school life; and
• strategic Objective 5 through capacity-building of national institutions to ensure a timely and efficient response to food security challenges.

This operation has been extended for one year as per Budget Revision 4.

Countries

Senegal

Although one of the region’s more stable countries, Senegal remains a low-income, food-deficit nation with an estimated population of 11.6 million. In 2006, Senegal moved up one place on the UNDP Human Development Index and now ranks 156th out of 177 countries....