Standard Project Report 2016
In 2016, a simulation exercise was held with the Government at the central and provincial levels, United Nations( UN) agencies, and civil society, to test the in-country coordination system and assess its readiness to respond to natural disasters. In 2016, Lao PDR experienced small-scale flooding, which was within the Government’ s response capacity, and assistance from the international community was not requested.
The Consolidated Livelihood Exercise for Analysing Resilience was carried out by the Department for Disaster Management and Climate Change of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and WFP. The report was published in October 2016, and identified geographic areas least-resilient to climate change, which currently are or will be affected by the increased frequency of natural disasters in the future.
Strategic Objective: Reduce undernutrition and break the intergenerational cycle of hunger( SO4)
Outcome: 4.1 Reduced undernutrition, including micronutrient deficiencies among children aged 6-59 months, pregnant and lactating women, and school-aged children
Activity: Mother and child health and nutrition( MCHN)
The MCHN project supported the Government’ s efforts to reduce all forms of malnutrition, and to boost food and nutrition security from central to community levels. WFP focused on the first 1,000 days of a child ' s life by improving the nutritional intake of pregnant and lactating women( PLW) and children aged 6-23 months of age, through the provision of specialised nutritious foods( SNF). To encourage pregnant women to receive antenatal, delivery and post-natal care at health centres, a rice incentive was also provided.
This programme was planned to cover six provinces, however because of funding constraints, three provinces were prioritised. Under the UN joint programme on mother and neonatal child health and nutrition, complementary activities of micronutrient supplements, immunisations, and nutrition education were carried out jointly with the World Health Organization( WHO), United Nations Population Fund( UNFPA) and the United Nations Children ' s Fund( UNICEF).
WFP provided technical assistance to the Ministry of Health to implement stunting prevention activities by strengthening the capacities of village health volunteers and health centre staff. The programme was entirely implemented by the Ministry of Health with no provision of incentives from WFP. A nutrition awareness campaign was disseminated to families and caregivers, which focused on messages about infant and young child feeding and hygiene promotion.
WFP, along with the Ministry of Health, the European Union, Population Services International and other development partners, joined efforts in raising awareness of malnutrition and encouraging the private sector’ s involvement in food and nutrition security through the Scaling Up Nutrition( SUN) Business Network. In collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the International Fund for Agricultural Development( IFAD), a project providing multiyear strategic support for food security and nutrition, funded through the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program, started towards the end of the year. This project will provide technical support on establishing village development plans and farmer schools, as well as implementing social and behaviour change communication campaigns. WFP provided policy support to the National Nutrition Forum, together with development partners, including contributing to action statements and decision papers.
Strategic Objective: Reduce undernutrition and break the intergenerational cycle of hunger( SO4)
Outcome: 4.2 Increased equitable access to and utilization of education and 4.3 Ownership and capacity strengthened to reduce undernutrition and increase access to education at regional, national and community levels
Activity: School meals
The schools meals component provided support to pre-primary and primary schools to meet education objectives. The programme reached 17 percent of all primary school children and 10 percent of pre-primary students through the provision of mid-morning snacks or lunch. Cooks and storekeepers also received a rice incentive for their contribution in preparing meals and managing food. In agreement with the Ministry of Education and Sports, assistance to 180,000 informal boarders in secondary school was stopped since support was provided by other partners, and the remaining food was given to students as take-home rations.
In line with the 2014 National Policy on Promoting School Lunches, WFP transitioned to the provision of lunches in 247 schools, which was complemented with a package of assistance, including the establishment of vegetable gardens, fish ponds, nutrition education, access to water and hygiene practices, and literacy.
The distribution of Super Cereal Plus in 2015 was low and therefore at the beginning of 2016, WFP had excess stocks in its warehouses. To use it before the expiry date, a decision was made to distribute the Super Cereal Plus and sugar to students and activity participants through take-home rations, which explains the higher distribution of Super Cereal Plus than planned in 2016.
Lao People ' s Democratic Republic( LA) 11 Country Programme- 200242