Bissau – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has today announced a renewed commitment to raising levels of nutrition and increasing access to education in Guinea-Bissau. It has extended its post-conflict relief and recovery operation through the end of 2011 at a cost of US$8 million.
“We hope that 2011 will be a watershed year for WFP in helping Guinea-Bissau on the way to achieving the Millennium Development Goals,” said WFP Representative Pedro Figueiredo. “WFP will aim to strengthen the capacity of the central and regional structures of the Ministry of Education while working to improve local food production and raise awareness about the importance of healthy student diets for educational attainment.”
In the past two years, WFP has provided food assistance costing US$20 million. WFP's intervention is aimed at achieving the UN targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), by promoting the fight against hunger, poverty and malnutrition.
Under this relief and recovery project, 303,000 people have benefited from WFP assistance through programmes providing school meals, maternal and child health care and assistance to people living with HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. The Food for Assets programme is one of the main activities of this project, as it makes food available in food-insecure areas, primarily during the lean season, in return for communities creating sustainable assets by improving their land and increasing agricultural production.
WFP is also working in coordination with the Government and other UN agencies, as well as national and international partners, on a poverty reduction strategy in Guinea-Bissau.