Annual Country Report 2022: Lesotho. Country Strategic Plan 2019-2024

Annual Country Report 2022: Lesotho. Country Strategic Plan 2019-2024

Rome (Italy): World Food Programme, 2022.

English English

80 p.

ELR1536

WFP delivered life-saving assistance to 123,989 people across ten districts. WFP continued to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable communities, and provided capacity strengthening to Government and partners, making progress towards Sustainable Development Goals 2 (Zero hunger) and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) and the five strategic outcomes of its five-year country strategic plan (2019-2024). The food security situation in Lesotho deteriorated in 2022, with the number of food insecure people on the rise due to three consecutive years of drought, the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19, the global food crisis, heavy rains during the planting season affecting production, and decreased income from livestock and related product sales. In response to the sharp deterioration in food security, WFP scaled up operations and provided food assistance and cash-based transfers to 58,000 people (52 percent women), including households headed by children, women, the elderly, and people with disabilities, in the three districts (Mokhotlong, Thaba-tseka, Berea) that recorded the highest food gaps. WFP provided technical assistance to the Government in the planning and implementation of gender-responsive social protection programmes (school feeding and public works) that contribute to hunger eradication and long-term food and nutrition security. WFP worked with Disaster Management Authority, Ministry of Social Development and Lesotho Vulnerability Assessment Committee to identify urban vulnerability indicators and define targeting criteria and transfer mechanisms for urban response. WFP further strengthened beneficiary targeting systems through updating the urban National Information System for Social Assistance. WFP also implemented a school feeding programme in collaboration with the Government, assisting 51,000 children with school meals in 2,500 preschools. WFP further strengthened government capacity to manage the home-grown school feeding programme which links smallholder farmers to schools and other markets. WFP continued to leverage opportunities to protect livelihoods and build households' and communities’ adaptive capacities against shocks. To this end, WFP supported 15,000 people as part of the integrated resilience programmes in 21 project sites across Mafeteng, Mohale’s Hoek and Quthing districts. WFP also supported smallholder farmers who received training in marketing, post-harvest management, nutrition, and gender mainstreaming.

ELR 1536

English

MON-127129

127129