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Peru

WFP Peru Country Brief, December 2016

Attachments

Highlights

  • While chronic child malnutrition fell over the last decade, anaemia has experienced an upward trend since 2011, affecting 43 percent of children under three.

  • High exposure to recurring disasters threatens the food security of vulnerable populations.

  • The new Government aims to reduce chronic child undernutrition from 14% to 6.4% and to eliminate extreme poverty and child anemia by 2021.

Operational Updates

 In its efforts to raise public awareness and sensitize children about the importance of a healthy and balanced diet, WFP organized a drawing competition in Sechura province under the slogan “Drawing a better Future for Sechura”. Children from fifteen schools out of six districts participated in the competition, drawing pictures of their favourite healthy lunchbox. WFP, together with local grassroots organizations and local school committees, organized a healthy dish cooking competition. The award ceremonies for both events received local press coverage.

 On 14 of December, WFP held a workshop on Rice Fortification in Sechura. The objective of this meeting was to generate a space for dialogue and analysis of immediate needs to close gaps and establish commitments to position and promote quality fortified rice as a basis for food security and nutrition. One of the results was the joint work among the main actors in the production chain of fortified rice in Sechura.

 During the last days of December, WFP started a comprehensive gender analysis of the food security and nutritional situation of the population in Peru. This study will identify the opportunities and bottlenecks and propose recommendations that may contribute to improving the incorporation of a gender approach in the country.

 The new Government plans to reduce anemia in children under 36 months from 43% to 19% by 2021. The Minister of Social Inclusion has launched a nationwide programme against anemia.

 WFP Peru’s new Country Director, Carmen Burbano, is meeting with government officials to reinforce WFP’s commitment to support the Government to achieve these targets by 2021, in the context of the new Country Strategy 2017-21.