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WFP Niger Country Brief, December 2017

Countries
Niger
+ 2 more
Sources
WFP
Publication date

Highlights

• Nutrition activities in Niger are suffering from critical funding gaps that risk to have effects not only on the implementation of activities but also on the already worrying levels of global acute malnutrition (GAM above the 10 percent serious threshold).

• Additional support for the Diffa emergency response is needed, due to instable security conditions that may lead to additional displacements and insufficient funding for emergency operations (impact on operations as early as March).

• Trainings on biometric data collection as part of the SCOPE roll-out were carried out in sub-offices for WFP staff and its partners such as Family Farming Development Programme (ProDAF)/IFAD and FAO.

WFP Assistance

WFP supports the Government in implementing a multi-sectoral, integrated community-based approach to build household, community and system resilience, supporting the same vulnerable people through a flexible combination of unconditional and conditional food assistance over a pluri-annual programme. The approach aims to reduce the impact of seasonal stresses and prevent a peak in acute malnutrition and mortality. The innovative integrated response includes food assistance for assets (through in-kind and cash), nutrition-specific and - sensitive activities, school meals and related programmes (such as school gardens and local milling and processing initiatives), local purchases from smallholder farmers, as well as unconditional food assistance during the lean season. Work on climate risk which constitutes an important new feature is now being integrated. This integrated safety net package is geographically concentrated in the most vulnerable areas allowing it to strengthen the core capacities and skills of key institutions and communities and those left behind. A special attention is put on gender.

The resilience programme ensures a participatory process amongst others through the three-pronged approach (3PA - national, subnational and community levels) relying on the Integrated Context Analysis (ICA), Seasonal Livelihood Programming (SLP) and Community-based Participatory Planning (CBPP). Capacity development and partnership building are two key components that aim to support a move toward nationallyowned hunger solutions.

Malian refugees are assisted under the existing PRRO with unconditional food assistance along with nutritional supplementation for children aged 6-23 months provided in all camps and hosting sites.

The Food Security Cluster has been active since 2010. WFP coleads the cluster with FAO and continues coordination activities with the Government and other humanitarian partners.

The Regional Emergency Operation provides flexible assistance through unconditional and conditional food and cash distributions, and nutritional supplementation for children aged 6-23 months as well as emergency school meals. The assistance is provided to an increasing number of refugees in and out of camps, returnees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host populations affected by the insecurity in northern Nigeria.

The United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) provides safe, efficient and effective air transport to UN agencies, NGOs and donors. This enables implementation and oversight of humanitarian activities in areas affected by insecurity and with poor road infrastructure.

In 2016, the operational fleet consisted of two 19-seater (Beechcraft 1900) operating out of Niamey with the ability to respond to air travel needs to the field. In 2017, a bigger aircraft was acquired to respond to needs by the humanitarian community. UNHAS remains the only key player in enabling up to 114 organizations to reach at least six destinations in Niger.