Country Programme (2012 -2016) CP 200287
The Country Programme (CP) started in March 2012 and will be operational until February 2016. The overarching objective of the programme is to strengthen national capacity to improve primary education outcomes, reduce malnutrition among vulnerable groups, and improve the food security of communities living in disaster-prone areas and build their resilience to shocks. The CP aims to achieve this through its three components: Support to Education, Nutritional Support and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) for Food Security. Through the CP, WFP intends to develop the capacity of more than 2,000 government staff and some 3,600 local community members, in-line with WFP's shift from food aid to food assistance. A total of 122,948 metric tons of food is scheduled to be distributed to some 1,926,400 beneficiaries over a five-year period at an estimated total cost of US$109,893,112. WFP will procure most of its food assistance in the local markets, thus supporting the local economy, including smallholder farmers.
Assistance to Food Insecure People Suffering from the Effects of Natural Disasters (PRRO 105860)
Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET) estimates show that as many as one million beneficiaries may require food assistance during the 2012/2013 food consumption year. An assessment of the rural food security situation by the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) took place between 27 May and 1 June, and the results will be officially presented at the end of June. This assessment will determine the exact need for any WFP and Government emergency food assistance in rural areas. The operation to assist people suffering the effects of natural disasters was due to end in February 2012 but was extended until December of this year. WFP is extending the emergency window of this operation so as to be able to jump-start an emergency response.
Assistance to Refugees (PRRO 200087)
The current refugee project started on in January 2010 and will be operational through December 2012. The project provides assistance to 14,000 refugees through general food distributions in the Dzaleka refugee camp and at the Karonga refugee transit shelter. The refugees’ movement and local integration is limited, making them heavily dependent on WFP food assistance to meet their basic food needs. The overall goal of the operation is to help achieve and maintain food security among refugees living in officially-designated camps while protecting the environment and livelihoods of the surrounding communities.
Purchase for Progress (P4P)
WFP is working to connect farmers in Malawi to markets through its Purchase for Progress initiative. Purchase for Progress, a five-year pilot which started in 2008, aims at linking small- scale farmers to markets. P4P Malawi aims to improve smallholders' agricultural productivity and the marketing of staple crops while boosting domestic production. In 2011, WFP distributed 23,500 metric tons of assorted commodities (cereals, pulses and corn-soya blend) in country. Approximately half of those (11,202 MT) were procured locally.