This project aims to improve nutrition and agricultural production in food-insecure areas. Some project activities include: (i) the creation of social safety nets (distribution of cash vouchers and establishment of cereal banks); (ii) nutrition activities (prevention/treatment of moderate and severe acute malnutrition, promotion of good nutritional and hygiene practices, and salt iodisation); (iii) agricultural production activities (such as the distribution of seeds, fertilizer, tools, lowland rehabilitation, construction of dikes, wells, and fences); and (iv) activities aimed at strengthening Senegal’s Early Warning System on food security issues. This initiative is implemented by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).
The expected intermediate outcomes for this project include: improved food security and nutritional status of people in vulnerable areas, more specifically for women and children; and increased agricultural production in areas at risk of suffering from food insecurity.
Results achieved as of March 2015 include the following: (1) food vouchers were distributed to 58,613 recipients (31,065 women), and 160 grain banks were established for 96,000 recipients (59,520 women), improving access to food and increasing the household food consumption level from 6% to 34%; (2) training was provided for 2,250 producers (including 1,013 women) in land rehabilitation, and for 56 producers and technicians (including 4 women) in seed legislation, production, preservation, processing, storage and storage building management; (3) support was provided for the production of pre-basic and certified crop seed (maize, rice, legumes); (4) 2,850 children under five, suffering from severe acute malnutrition, and 38,504 children aged 6 to 23 months, suffering from moderate acute malnutrition, were case-managed, more than the target established by the project (116% of the 33,287 children anticipated); and (5) the importance of iodizing salt was promoted; and (6) 627 hectares of land were reclaimed and rehabilitated, and 8,989 km of production roads constructed, landscaping and fencing was provided for 43 market garden plots, 86 wells were drilled and 1,186 tonnes of provisions benefiting 72,528 people (55% being women) were distributed. These results helped to increase local agricultural production in areas at risk of suffering from food insecurity, and to improve the nutritional status of people in vulnerable areas, specifically for women and children.
