WFP Lao PDR Country Brief, September 2023 – Lao People’s … – ReliefWeb

In Numbers

141 mt of food assistance distributed

US$1.3 million six-month (October 2023-March 2024) net funding requirements

66,694 people assisted in September 2023

**Operational Updates • In partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, the Lao Red Cross and the Swiss Red Cross, WFP completed the Global 4Fs (food, fuel, fertilizers, finance)
Lean Season Response. Overall, 950 mt of rice was distributed in 221 villages across 16 districts of Luang Namtha, Oudomxay, Sekong and Salavanh Provinces to 110,033 people (54,174 women) in a 19-day rice ration with support from the Republic of Korea and the Government of Ireland. The rations enhanced access to food during the rainy season (July-September) for vulnerable families and reduced the impact of the high cost of living across the country.

• In September, the second phase of the Agriculture for Nutrition project kicked off, funded by the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and will be implemented through the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. This phase will build on addressing undernutrition through integrated agriculture and nutrition behaviour change communication as a successful and replicable model over the next seven years in up to 500 villages in six provinces in the North and South of the country. WFP will implement nutrition- and gender-sensitive activities.

• The Prime Minister’s Decree for school lunch promotion was disseminated in two southern provinces in workshops in September. The decree establishes a policy framework to enhance the school meal programmes, while increasing the national budget for school lunches by 20 percent. WFP provides the Government with technical assistance to strengthen the expanding national school meals programme.The distribution of rice from the Government of the People’s Republic of China was completed to 305 schools under the supervision of district education authorities. China supports the Government of Lao PDR’s school meals programme with food commodities procured with funds from China.

• Lao Red Cross and the Swiss Red Cross, WFP completed the Global 4Fs (food, fuel, fertilizers, finance) Lean Season Response. Overall, 950 mt of rice was distributed in 221 villages across 16 districts of Luang Namtha, Oudomxay,
Sekong and Salavanh Provinces to 110,033 people (54,174 women) in a 19-day rice ration with support from the Republic of Korea and the Government of Ireland. The rations enhanced access to food during the rainy season (July-September) for vulnerable families and reduced the impact of the high cost of living across the country.

• In September, the second phase of the Agriculture for Nutrition project kicked off, funded by the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and will be implemented through the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. This phase will build on addressing undernutrition through integrated agriculture and nutrition behaviour change communication as a successful and replicable model over the next seven years in up to 500 villages in six provinces in the North and South of the country. WFP will implement nutrition- and gendersensitive activities.