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Congo + 1 more

WFP Republic of Congo Country Brief, May 2018

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Operational Context

Despite its status as a lower middle-income country, RoC ranks poorly on the Human Development Index. Food production is below national requirements, with only 2 percent of arable land currently under cultivation. RoC produces 30 percent of the country’s food needs and thus imports almost all of its food, leading to high food prices. Forty-eight percent of Congolese live on less than USD 1.25 per day.

According to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, there is a dire shortage of nutritious food, resulting in children suffering from acute malnutrition.

WFP's operations in RoC contribute to the global efforts to reach Sustainable Development Goals 1 (End Poverty), 2 (Zero Hunger), 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), 4 (Quality Education) and 5 (Gender Equality).

WFP has been present in RoC since 2000.

In Numbers

587 mt of food assistance distributed

US$ 226,853 cash based transfers made

US$ 8.4 m six months net funding requirements, representing 14% of total

73,832 people assisted in May 2018

Operational Updates

• The "cease-fire and cessation of hostilities" agreement signed in December between the Congolese Government and the rebels of Pastor Ntumi in the Pool Department is holding. A joint commission is working to define the peace process as preparations for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) activities are being conducted.

• Hard-to-reach areas in the Pool Department are becoming accessible and most displaced households are resettling in their places of origin. Significant rehabilitation needs have been identified to reduce food assistance dependency of returning populations and help them build resilience.

• In response to the Pool crisis, the Government and the UN Country Team have launched the 2018 Humanitarian Response Plan in support of both humanitarian and early recovery assistance.

• In May 2018, some 7,500 children under the age of five and about 6,500 pregnant and breastfeeding women received specialized nutritious foods to treat and prevent chronic malnutrition.

• WFP bought 10mt of beans for its school feeding programme from a smallholder farmers project funded by the European Union.

• In the fourth quarter of 2017, WFP received funding from the Government of Japan and from the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program for its School Feeding programme. Most procured commodities have arrived in the country.

• The Zero Hunger Strategic Review has been finalized. WFP’s Country Strategic Plan for RoC is under development and will be launched in January 2019.