Standard Project Report 2016
In the aftermath of the May 2016 emergency response to the tropical depression, the Ministry of Disaster Management identified the technical and operational capacity requirements for a national emergency response mechanism. The Ministry is working to enhance its technical capacity through the operationalisation of the National Emergency Operations Plan( NEOP) and through simulation exercises, as well as through WFP ' s 72-hour assessment methodology to enhance its preparedness and response capabilities with WFP ' s support.
WFP, through its emergency response to the 2016 cyclone, initiated for the first time collaboration with the Government ' s social safety-net system‘ Divineguma ' to provide cash-based assistance to meet the immediate food needs of flood and landslide victims. This response mechanism proved to be efficient and could be used for emergency relief in the future to build the agility of national social safety nets.
WFP ' s support to the Government is in line with the 2013-2017 United Nations Development Assistance Framework( UNDAF), of which four pillars cover food security and nutrition; resilience-building against shocks; disaster risk reduction; and emergency preparedness and response. As WFP develops its Sri Lanka country strategic plan( CSP, 2018-2022), it will ensure alignment with the four key drivers of the UNDAF ' s successor, the 2018-2022 United Nations Sustainable Development Framework( UNSDF), which is currently under development with WFP ' s involvement.
WFP works with FAO as a partner Rome-based agency, including on a joint programme funded by the Government of Spain through the Sustainable Development Goals Fund( SDGF) to assist the Government in scaling-up nutrition through a multi-sector approach.
WFP partners closely with Save the Children to advocate through the SUN forum with an alliance of civil societies in Sri Lanka. WFP also acts as an adviser to the SUN People ' s Forum executive council, which includes representatives from non-governmental organizations( NGOs) including World Vision.
Summary of WFP Operational Objectives
WFP is transitioning towards providing a more holistic range of technical assistance and capacity development to support the government ' s efforts to 1) reduce undernutrition among children aged 6-59 months and pregnant and lactating women( PLW); 2) increase food intake and school attendance among schoolchildren in food-insecure areas; 3) enhance vulnerable households ' resilience to shocks and facilitate adaptation to climate change; and 4) increase government capacities to address food and nutrition insecurity as well as strengthening emergency preparedness and response.
Transitional Country Programme 200866( 2016-2017), approved budget USD 19.7 million, focused on improving food and nutrition security, and building the resilience of vulnerable communities to climate shocks, through four components:
Nutritional support for vulnerable groups: WFP assisted the Government in treating moderate acute malnutrition( MAM) amongst children aged 6-59 months and PLW as well as addressing micronutrient deficiencies. WFP supported the Government in providing nutrition education for both women and men, and provided technical and capacity assistance to improve the quality and quantity of locally-produced fortified foods as well as promoting the consumption of fortified and nutritious foods.
School Meals Programme: In addition to the Government ' s national school meals programme, WFP, jointly with the Government, provided school meals to 150,000 schoolchildren in the Northern Province where food insecurity and undernutrition were the highest in the country. WFP plans to progressively transfer the school meals programme to the Government through technical assistance and policy advice to move towards a harmonised national school meals programme.
Resilience-building to reduce risk and vulnerability to shocks: WFP cooperated with and provided technical assistance to the Government to use the Consolidated Livelihoods Exercise for Analysing Resilience( CLEAR) approach and the food security atlas to identify the most heavily climate-affected communities and households for inclusion in resilience-building activities. Targeted communities benefited from food-assistance-for-assets activities and marketable skills training for livelihood diversification with the aim of overcoming food and nutrition insecurity.
Emergency preparedness and response: WFP focused on providing technical and capacity support to the Government in conducting rapid emergency needs assessments, simulation exercises, as well as the 72-hour assessment approach in the event of emergencies such as floods, landslides, and drought. When needed, WFP provided relief assistance in the form of food or cash-based assistance.
Emergency operation 200990( June-September 2016), approved budget USD 2.3 million, focused on assisting the Government in providing emergency relief to communities affected by Tropical Cyclone Roanu in May 2016. With the support of WFP, in 2016, the Government piloted cash-based transfers through the Department of
Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of( LK) 5 Country Programme- 200866