In Madagascar, WFP addresses hunger and food insecurity challenges through two main programmes: the Country Programme and the Protracted Relief and Recovery Operations, targeting 851,000 beneficiaries in 2011. WFP has been present in the country since 1968.
COUNTRY PROGRAMME (Development)
- Support to basic education through a school meals programme - School meals are a strong incentive for parents to send and keep their children in school. In Madagascar, WFP is providing primary students in the south and in urban slums with daily nutritious meals. School meals programme contributes to promote children’s access to education, and intend to improve their nutritional status and school performance. A school ration fortification project through micronutrient powder is currently implemented in two districts. A scale up will take place from the school year 2011/2012. Moreover, WFP is rolling out improved stoves in all assisted canteens and is providing support to the twice-yearly government-sponsored deworming campaigns targeting school children.
- Food security, mitigation of the effects of natural disasters and protection of the environment - WFP contributes to increasing the resilience of vulnerable communities to shocks and supporting their adaptation to climate change using environmental rehabilitation as a motor engine for food security. Activities consist of food for asset activities, throughout the lean season, such as reforesting or planting dune-resistant species to stop the alarming progress of sand dunes. Construction of community infrastructures includes rain catchment basins enabling the communities’ access to water. Food for assets schemes are addressed to beneficiaries in the south.
- Fight against malnutrition, tuberculosis and HIV-AIDS - WFP focuses on preventing acute malnutrition via preventative supplementary feeding targeting children under 2s and pregnant and lactating women in the south. In five municipalities, WFP has partnered with UNFPA to provide food assistance to pregnant and lactating women attending reproductive health services. This reduces women’s vulnerability to food insecurity while encouraging their access to health centers. The objective is to mainstream lean season supplementary feeding as part of other effective health and nutrition interventions aimed at reducing acute malnutrition. WFP also assists tuberculosis patients and persons living with HIV-AIDS in the south, the south east and in urban slums, providing them with nutritional support to encourage adherence to treatment.
PRRO PROGRAMME (Disaster responses)
WFP provides assistance to beneficiaries whose food security is weakened by natural disasters. Responses are addressed under food for work activities and general food distribution for vulnerable individuals unable to participate in food for work initiatives. The objectives of food for work schemes are to construct or rebuild damaged assets (roads, agricultural infrastructures), thus restarting farming and economic activities and restoring communities’ livelihoods, while improving food security of emergency-affected communities.
At the onset of the cyclone season (November to April) in remote cyclone prone areas, WFP pre-positions contingency stock that can be mobilized rapidly for an immediate assistance after the passage of a storm.
Disaster responses also include nutritional assistance to treat moderate acute malnutrition in case the threshold of 10 percent of global acute malnutrition is reached, through UNICEF/Ministry of Health survey in disaster affected regions.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Local food procurement: Since August 2009, WFP is implementing a local food purchase policy mainly cereals, pulses and second generation fortified blended food. Quantities of food purchased in Madagascar have increased from 490 MT in 2009 to 2,900 MT in 2010. This represents 15% of the food distributed in the country in 2010. In 2011, the CO plans to procure around 4,300 MT locally.
- Cash and voucher: A study to assess the feasibility of cash and voucher initiatives in the current context of intervention is planned to take place in 2011 and will assess the appropriateness of cash and/or voucher initiatives in Madagascar. Initial recommendations should be issued by the end of this year.
PARTNERS
WFP works in partnership with a broad range of around 70 actors including local and international NGOs and other UN Agencies.
| Planned Beneficiaries | 712,000 |
| Beneficiary needs (mt) | 28,061 |
| Beneficiary needs ($US) | 24,790,247 |
| Multilateral contributions | - |