Country Strategy
Under the Country Programme (CP), WFP continues to provide assistance for education, nutrition and agricultural development. In 2015, WFP scaled up its school meals programme across Guinea, and continues to pursue its initiative to purchase locally produced food to boost local agriculture. Under the new Special Operation (SO), which includes the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) WFP will continue to provide a highly dedicated rapid response mechanism to deal with potential small-scale EVD outbreaks, while further increasing and enhancing the EVD readiness and recovery activities of partners. Under the regional Emergency Operation (EMOP), which ended in December 2015, WFP responded to the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) epidemic. On 29 December 2015, the WHO officially declared an end to epidemic in Guinea, paving the way for recovery activities. The declaration is a strong signal that basic services such as provision of education and health services should resume normally. WFP has revised its CP in order to better position the organisation to support the government of Guinea in ensuring access to the above services, many of which had been interrupted as part of epidemic control measures. The country is now in a period of heightened surveillance for 90 days, until March 2016. In order to implement its strategy, WFP works in close partnership with the Government of Guinea, as well as with international actors, NGOs and communities. WFP has been active in Guinea since 1964.
Summary of WFP assistance:
In 2016, WFP provides assistance through its Country Programme, which includes four components:
(i) School feeding;
(ii) Nutrition for malnourished children aged 6-59 months, pregnant women and nursing mothers and people living with HIV and TB;
(iii) Agricultural development with the purchase of locally grown food used in school feeding activities; and (iv) Support to households and communities affected by Ebola virus disease (EVD).
Through its school feeding and agricultural activities, WFP reduces the vulnerability of rural communities and builds social safety nets for school children and small-scale farmers. WFP strengthens the capacity of rural communities, particularly women farmers, through the purchase of locally grown food for use in school meals. Of the 1,605 schools where WFP operates, 410 schools are supplied with locally produced fresh vegetables, such as potato leaves, cassava leaves, carrots, spinach, eggplant, onion and beans, providing children with a more balanced, nutritious diet.
WFP carries out comprehensive nutrition activities, using specialised foods to improve the nutritional intake of vulnerable groups. 2016 will see a shift from a curative approach to a more preventive approach.
WFP will support EVD survivors, many of whom suffer from ongoing health problems, continued contagiousness and trauma, as well as social stigmatization leading to significant loss of income. Food assistance is also planned for new Ebola patients and their caregivers, contact cases, and children previously or newly orphaned by EVD.
From January to June 2016 WFP will provide logistical capacity building and UNHAS aviation support through its Special Operation. This will ensure the national government and humanitarian community is provided with the necessary logistics infrastructure and capacity, such as transportation and storage of cargo; respond to other potential EVD outbreaks and non-health emergencies in Guinea; and provide an appropriate exit strategy and capacity building that augments and enables the national response mechanisms.