WFP Mauritania Country Brief, September 2019
- Countries
- Mauritania
- + 1 more
- Sources
- WFP
- Publication date
- Origin
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In Numbers
100 mt of food assistance distributed
US$ 1.5 m cash-based transfers made
US$ 7.9 m six months (October 2019 – March 2020) net funding requirements
116,306 people assisted in September 2019
Operational Updates
• From 23 to 26 September, WFP organized an intensive bootcamp in the village of Guevera in Assaba region with the aim of strengthening the capacities of cooperating partners and government technical services on agricultural techniques adapted to arid and semi-arid environments, through hands-on exercises. The training was attended by 70 participants. These techniques taught, such as half-moons and dikes for water retention, will lessen the effects of shocks and stressors on populations, reinforcing their resilience and improving their food security.
• WFP continues implementing the recommendations of the integrated livelihood strategy for Bassikounou. After the two rounds of targeted assistance (in April and July) for groups 6 and 5 (the most secure food ones), in September WFP started notifying households of group 4 about the reduction by half of the food assistance ration (withdrawal of the food portion). Nutrition support activities are maintained for all groups regardless of their levels of vulnerability. Moreover, the households removed from general food distribution will benefit from food assistance for asset creation that WFP plans to introduce for refugees and host populations towards the end of the year. Due to lack of funding, WFP is not planning to implement school feeding activities in the Mberra camp. This will increase the likelihood of children’s dropout from school.
• As wintering was particularly poor (with late start of rains and long rainy breaks), the probability of a disbursement of African Risk Capacity coverage (a climate risk insurance) was considered high enough (between 60 and 70 percent) to finalise an implementation plan for the next year lean season. The plan will be submitted to the government for approval in October.
• The technical working group responsible for the setting up of the future permanent early warning and shock response system, together with the Government, finalized the first outline of the future mechanism as well as the missions and composition of its bodies. Moreover, for the first time, a bulletin on the pastoral, food and nutritional situation at the village level was produced and shared with the national food security observatory. Close collaboration with the World Bank continues for the implementation of the system.
• The International Day of Peace was celebrated on 21 September in Bassikounou, with the aim of (i) sensitizing local populations and refugee communities - with a focus on young girls and boys - on peace; and (ii) federating the agencies of the United Nations system and other nonstate actors around a common ideal that seeks to promote peace and peaceful coexistence, through positive actions on the climate. To this end, about 200 young girls and boys from the host community and refugees were sensitized on climate change and committed to peace and peaceful coexistence and about 300 plans have been planted in the district of Bassikounou and in the vicinity of Mbera camp.