The project supports the Government of Ghana in its efforts to improve the protection of vulnerable populations in northern Ghana from the devastating impacts of floods and droughts, and also to ensure that the immediate food needs of the most severely food-insecure households are met. The project aims to improve agriculture, water and land resources; create strategic reserves to protect the nutritional status of at-risk groups (including children under five, pregnant and lactating women and people living with HIV/AIDS); and support the rehabilitation and recovery of agricultural livelihoods. This project contributes to alleviating chronic food security amongst vulnerable groups, targeting and assisting poverty reduction in the most susceptible areas of northern Ghana.
Results achieved as of the end of the project (May 2013) include: The World Food Program (WFP) has distributed food to 746,245 beneficiaries (445,846 women and 300,399 men), exceeding its target of 662,250 beneficiaries by 12.7%. 250 dams and dugouts have been rehabilitated, many times exceeding the original target of 20. The target for reforestation of river shores was almost reached, with 7,357 hectares of trees planted compared to the target of 8,000 hectares. A significant reduction in global acute malnutrition (GAM) was observed in the communities that received assistance, where GAM rates among children age 6 to 59 months decreased by 53.5%. The Supplementary Feeding Programme, which was implemented in areas with high levels of food insecurity, reached 207,042 beneficiaries, exceeding its target of 108,000 beneficiaries. 88% of the beneficiaries surveyed felt that the food they received improved their nutritional and health status and contributed to improving their food consumption and reducing household expenditures.
