Annual Country Report 2022: Sao Tome and Principe. Country Strategic Plan 2019-2024

Rome (Italy): World Food Programme, 2022.

English

42 p.

ELR1555

In 2022, WFP in STP managed these risks and strengthened its capacities to support the country in overcoming some challenges. Regarding education, sanitary measures were taken to stop the spread of COVID-19, such as reducing the number of students per class, shorter breaks, expanding the school premises, and improving the school transport network. In 2022, 50,000 students benefitted from on-site school meals. Until June, when schools were already open after the restrictions of 2021, 20,000 students received on-site school meals supported by WFP and the Chellaram Foundation. After June, the Government retook full ownership of food acquisition and on-site school meals for all 50,000 beneficiaries. 5-11 years-old schoolgirls were the group receiving, in absolute numbers, most of WFP’s interventions. They accounted for 7,446 beneficiaries. For crisis operations, WFP assisted 1,500 smallholder farmers, fishermen, and their households with unconditional food as flood assistance. Costly energy access hinders food production and logistics, increasing the prices for operating school feeding and smallholder agriculture market support (SAMS). This contributes to almost 2/3 of Santomeans living below the USD 3.20/day poverty line. However, STP presents positive development points. STP primary school accomplishment rate is 87 percent, life expectancy is 66 years, the mortality rate for children 6-59 months is 51 percent, and 97 percent of the population accesses water and 60 percent electricity, disregarding their price or stability. These numbers are above the continental standard. Considering Country Capacity Strengthening (CCS), WFP and other UN agencies launched the SDG Project focused on the local food value chains in May. This project has gender-sensitive components throughout its objectives and focuses on institutional and individual-level CCS. WFP and its partners organised regular coordination meetings with the Government to discuss the construction of irrigation and drainage systems in Camavo. The SDG Project visited Uba Budo and engaged with the local community. In the first semester of 2022, WFP, in partnership with the Government-owned School Feeding and Health Programme (PNASE), conducted awareness campaigns to increase the consumption of local products at schools. In addition, WFP donated office equipment to the Ministry of Agriculture in September. As part of South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) and CCS’s long-term impacts, a Systems Approach for Better Education Results (SABER) exercise was completed in February. Furthermore, the Parliament approved a PNASE law in August. WFP continued advocating for PNASE’s funding regulation and disseminating its impacts with the SABER[4] evidence. SABER dissemination workshops will take place in 2023. As part of the cooperation between Brazil and STP, in 2023, PNASE will receive food donations through WFP’s in-country food assistance operations, targeting schools in communities most vulnerable to climate shocks.

Electronic ed.

ELR 1555

eng

MON-127152