World Food Programme Fighting Hunger Worldwide

WFP has been operational in Sierra Leone since 1968. In collaboration with the Government and other partners it pursues the goal of feeding the hungry poor by supporting reconstruction and rehabilitation following a devastating civil war in the 1990s. In 2008, WFP provided food to 473,800 vulnerable people.

WFP’s food assistance focuses on the reconstruction of basic social infrastructure. It supports basic primary education through the provision of daily school meals. In addition, a monthly take-home ration is provided to 4,600 girls in grades four to six in the northern districts of Koinadugu and Kambia which have extremely low primary school completion rates for girls (20%). In 2008, 273,000 pupils benefited from the programme.

WFP seeks to improve the health and nutritional status of women and children through integrated Mother-and-Child Health and Nutrition programmes. It also provides food assistance for people living with HIV.

WFP also provides food assistance to vulnerable populations in the Eastern and Southern Provinces of the country which suffered the highest levels of destruction during the civil war. WFP focuses on the restoration of agricultural production (food and tree crops), education and health. These activities include Nutrition Support, School Feeding, Food for Training and Food for Work.

Sierra Leone is one of the 21 countries where WFP’s Purchase for Progress (P4P) initiative will be piloted. WFP with its partners will engage small farmers by supporting their agricultural production and linking them to the market and will then use its purchasing power to procure food from them.