The World Food Programme (WFP) is launching an initiative to support national governments’ response plans in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Nigeria.
With adequate funding, the WFP aims to assist up to 12 million people. However, due to dwindling resources, the programme has reached fewer individuals than expected.
This initiative comes at a critical time, as malnutrition levels in West and Central Africa are soaring, with projections indicating that 55 million people could face acute hunger during the lean season.
Chris Nikoi, WFP’s Regional Director for Western Africa, emphasized the urgency for “transformative solutions” to help vulnerable families meet their food and other essential needs.
“We must continue prioritizing emergency responses for those in dire need,” Mr. Nikoi stated. “At the same time, we need more investment in sustainable solutions to bolster food security, enhance agricultural productivity, and improve families’ purchasing power. This will help them better withstand economic and climate shocks.”
Aiming for Sustainable Solutions
The increase in crises across the region has left many people facing acute hunger without adequate support. The WFP has highlighted that funding has not kept pace with the rising needs, exacerbating the situation.
WFP expressed concern over the 2024 seasonal forecast, which predicts adverse weather conditions that could disrupt farming activities and extend the next lean season.
“The surge in humanitarian needs vastly exceeds the available resources,” said Mr. Nikoi. “The only viable solution is to focus on sustainable, long-term interventions.”
Current Efforts and Future Directions
Presently, WFP is championing “long-term transformative hunger solutions” and is collaborating with governments to enhance systems that increase communities’ resilience through social protection and investments in inclusive food systems.
WFP’s programmes have achieved several milestones, such as restoring degraded lands for food and fodder production, supporting children’s education, improving food access, and increasing incomes across the Sahel. Additionally, they have provided more frequent and varied meals to residents in Nigerian villages.
The programme stresses that initiatives like “strengthening poor families’ purchasing power through timely, shock-responsive social protection schemes” should be prioritized and expanded. According to WFP, solely relying on humanitarian response is not financially sustainable and fails to address the root causes of hunger and malnutrition.
