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WFPStrategic Plan2008-2013

TABLE OF CONTENTS2 CONTEXT

6 OVERARCHING APPROACH

12 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE ONE: SAVE LIVES ANDPROTECT LIVELIHOODS IN EMERGENCIES

Goals1. To save lives in emergencies and reduce acute

malnutrition caused by shocks to below emergencylevels

2. To protect livelihoods and enhance self-reliancein emergencies and early recovery

3. To reach refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs),and other vulnerable groups and communities whosefood and nutrition security has been adversely affectedby shocks

Main Tools• General and targeted food assistance and emergency

nutrition interventions• Emergency needs assessments• Emergency logistics, special operations, and information

and communications technology (ICT) capacity• United Nations cluster leadership for logistics

and emergency ICT

16 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE TWO: PREVENTACUTE HUNGER AND INVEST IN DISASTERPREPAREDNESS ANDMITIGATION MEASURES

Goals1. To support and strengthen capacities of governments

to prepare for, assess and respond to acute hungerarising from disasters

2. To support and strengthen resiliency of communitiesto shocks through safety nets or asset creation,including adaptation to climate change

Main Tools• Vulnerability analysis and mapping• Early warning products and tools• Disaster preparedness and mitigation programmes• Programmes to help communities reinforce their

essential food and nutrition security systems andinfrastructures, as well as their adaptability to climatechange – including voucher, cash and food-basedsafety nets

20 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE THREE: RESTOREAND REBUILD LIVES AND LIVELIHOODSIN POST-CONFLICT, POST-DISASTEROR TRANSITION SITUATIONS

Goals1. To support the return of refugees and IDPs through food

and nutrition assistance2. To support the re-establishment of livelihoods and food

and nutrition security of communities and familiesaffected by shocks

3. To assist in establishing or rebuilding food supplyor delivery capacities of countries and communitiesaffected by shocks and help to avoid the resumptionof conflict

Main Tools• Targeted programmes that facilitate the re-

establishment of livelihoods• Special operations to rebuild essential hunger-related

infrastructure• Food distribution programmes that facilitate

re-establishment of food and nutrition security• Voucher and cash-based programmes that facilitate

food access• Capacity strengthening for the re-establishment

of community service infrastructure

24 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE FOUR: REDUCECHRONIC HUNGER AND UNDERNUTRITION

Goals1. To help countries bring undernutrition below critical

levels and break the intergenerational cycle of chronichunger

2. To increase levels of education and basic nutritionand health through food and nutrition assistance andfood and nutrition security tools

3. To meet the food and nutrition needs of those affectedby HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and other pandemics

Main Tools• Mother-and-child health and nutrition (MCHN)

programmes• School feeding programmes• Programmes addressing and mitigating HIV/AIDS,

tuberculosis and other pandemics• Policy and programmatic advice

28 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE FIVE: STRENGTHENTHE CAPACITIES OF COUNTRIES TO REDUCEHUNGER, INCLUDING THROUGH HAND-OVERSTRATEGIES AND LOCAL PURCHASE

Goals1. To use purchasing power to support the sustainable

development of food and nutrition security systems,and transform food and nutrition assistance intoa productive investment in local communities

2. To develop clear hand-over strategies to enhancenationally owned hunger solutions

3. To strengthen the capacities of countries to design,manage and implement tools, policies and programmesto predict and reduce hunger

Main Tools• WFP’s procurement activities• Hand-over ofWFP hunger tools• Policy and programmatic advice• Advocacy

Acronyms used in the document:

Photo credits

CGIAR Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research

ECHA Executive Committee on Humanitarian Affairs

FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

IASC Inter-Agency Standing Committee

ICT information and communications technology

IDP internally displaced person

IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development

MCHN mother-and-child health and nutrition

MDG Millennium Development Goal

NEPAD New Partnership for Africa’s Development

NGO Non-governmental organizations

OCHA Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

UNAIDS Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS

UNDG United Nations Development Group

UNDP United Nations Development Programme

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

UNFPA United Nations Population Fund

UNHCR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund

UNHRD United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot

VAM vulnerability analysis and mapping

WHO World Health Organization

Cover shot: Kenya, WFP/Marcus Prior; Page 3: Uganda, WFP/Vanessa Vick; Page 5: Sudan, WFP/Antonia Paradela; Page 6: Myanmar, WFP/Kyaw Zaw Tun;Page 7: Myanmar, WFP/Kyaw Zaw Tun; Page 10: Somalia, WFP/Peter Smerdon; Page 11: Somalia, WFP/Peter Smerdon; Page 12: Mozambique,WFP/MichaelHuggins; Page 15: Sudan,WFP/Fred Noy; Page 16: Somalia,WFP/Franz Lemmens; Page 18: Bangladesh,WFP/Abdul Mannan; Page 19: Myanmar,WFP/EddieGerald; Page 20: Guatemala,WFP/Maria Reppas; Page 23: Afghanistan,WFP/Ebadullah Ebadi; Page 24: Ethiopia,WFP/Paulette Jones; Page 26: Laos,WFP/TomGreenwood; Page27: Laos,WFP/TomGreenwood; Page28:Myanmar,WFP/HeatherHill; Page31:Myanmar,WFP/Marcus Prior; Back Page :Mali,WFP/Marcus Prior

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The Strategic Plan (2008–2013) lays out a frameworkfor potential action for WFP. The Strategic Objectivesreflect the changing nature of food aid and hunger,and WFP’s history, experience and comparativeadvantages. They also reflect the continuedimportance of coherence in United Nations deliveryat the country level.

The Strategic Plan (2008–2013) marks a historicalshift from WFP as a food aid agency to WFP as a foodassistance agency, with a more nuanced and robustset of tools to respond to critical hunger needs. Itsoverarching goal is to reduce dependency and tosupport governmental and global efforts to ensurelong term solutions to the hunger challenge.

The global context in which WFP operates is rapidlychanging. One example of this is the rapidglobalization of the hunger challenge, including therecent market shocks and the challenges presentedby climate change. Deploying WFP most effectivelywithin this broader global context is what theStrategic Plan is all about.

WFP will focus on five Strategic Objectives:

• save lives and protect livelihoods in emergencies;

• prevent acute hunger and invest in disaster preparedness and mitigation measures;

• restore and rebuild lives and livelihoods in post-conflict, post-disaster or transition situations;

• reduce chronic hunger and undernutrition;

• strengthen the capacities of countries to reducehunger, including through hand-over strategiesand local purchase.

Not all Strategic Objectives will apply to all situationsand all countries. Specific priorities will be set basedon the specific needs and priorities in a country orregion and in accordance with the comparativeadvantage that WFP can bring in a particular timeand place.

WFP will continuously assess and align itsapproaches to changes in the external operating andfunding environments, and develop its range of toolsin order to meet hunger and humanitarian needs inways that are as sensitive as possible to localconditions, for example by using vouchers and cashwhen appropriate, as an alternative or addition tofood commodity responses.

Be it in precursor efforts, emergency response orduring the transition to sustainable solutions tohunger, success will depend not only on WFP’s owncapacity, but also on the extent to which WFPmanages to be a partner for others – nationalgovernments, other United Nations organizations,non-governmental organizations or the privatesector. WFP’s effort is an important building block inthe fight against hunger, but its effectiveness will bemaximized only if it is accompanied by other actors’efforts or integrated into a broader alliance.Partnerships are also crucial for an effective handingover of WFP’s activities.

WFP will continue to be accountable for the efficientand effective use of the resources entrusted to it byclosely monitoring and evaluating the outputs of itsactivities and measuring the outcomes and impactthat can be attributed to them.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

CONTEXT

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1. TheWFP context.WFP’s Strategic Objectivesare derived from its mandate, its MissionStatement and the Millennium DevelopmentGoals (MDGs) agreed upon by all United Nationsmember states. The Strategic Objectives reflectthe changing nature of food aid and hunger, andWFP’s history, experience and comparativeadvantages. They also reflect the continuedimportance of coherence in United Nationsdelivery at the country level. WFP is the largestand most operational United Nations agencywith a key role to play in helping to address thethreat and persistent consequences oflife-threatening hunger and undernutrition. WFPalso has a key role to play in the efforts toenhance coherence and reform in the UnitedNations humanitarian and developmentsystems.

2. The Strategic Plan lays out a framework forpotential action for WFP. This Strategic Planmarks a historic shift to WFP using a morenuanced and market-sensitive set of tools torespond to critical hunger needs. The StrategicPlan is based on mapping out a “value chain ofhunger” and focuses on WFP’s unique expertiseand role in addressing hunger as part of acoherent global strategy focused onpartnerships, led by governments and includingall other stakeholders. Its overarching goal is toreduce dependency and to supportgovernmental and global efforts to ensure longterm solutions to the hunger challenge. WFPwill incorporate responses that strengthenlocal markets and capabilities wheneverand wherever possible.

3. The United Nations is at the forefront of two ofthe defining issues of our time: climate changeand high food prices. Both will be key

dimensions of the future work and collaborationof the Rome-based agencies. In this sense, theyprovide an almost unprecedented opportunityfor WFP to be an integral part of the overallUnited Nations system response, led by theSecretary-General of the United Nations andstrongly supported by the Director-General ofthe Food and Agriculture Organization of theUnited Nations (FAO) and the President of theWorld Bank, among others. A sharpened focuson the MDGs, especially MDG1 and hunger, andthe outcome of the High-Level Conference onWorld Food Security: the Challenges of ClimateChange and Bioenergy will provide strategicpolicy guidance directly relevant to WFP’s work.The opportunity for WFP to be a strategicpartner for others has never been more present.

4. The Strategic Plan reflects the real-worldchallenges, including the recent increasedhunger caused by soaring food prices and tightsupplies, and the difficult practical choices thatthe organization confronts – day to day, monthto month and year to year. The Strategic Plan,like WFP itself, is in part a reflection ofinternational realities – including the gaps anddeficiencies in the broader internationalhumanitarian and development architecture.Support for recovery, in particular in criticalpeacebuilding situations, is often not sustained.The gap between crises, recovery andsustainable longer-term solutions is veryfrequently a chasm. Yet within this context, theinternational system also has important toolsand assets. WFP is one of these assets. DeployingWFP most effectively within this broader globalcontext is what the Strategic Plan is all about.

5. The global context in which WFP operates israpidly changing. One example of this is the

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rapid globalization of the hunger challenge,including the recent market shocks and thechallenges presented by climate change. Theorganization needs to respond in an effectivemanner to emerging trends and challenges.Despite progress toward halving the proportionof hungry in the developing world over the pastdecades, the absolute number of hungry isgrowing and there are new challenges before us.Economic shocks such as soaring food and fuelprices are diminishing the purchasing power ofsome of the most vulnerable households,exposing many millions to greater desperationand hunger. In many regions climate changecontributes to the destruction of livelihoods,reduces agricultural yields and threatens lives,pushing ever more people into desperation.Responding to those hunger challenges requiresmulti-faceted food assistance policies that canaddress food availability, food access and foodutilization problems.

6. WFP will continue to emphasize nationalownership and priorities, in line withwidely-recognized principles.1 Not all StrategicObjectives will apply to all situations and allcountries. Specific priorities will be set based onthe specific needs and priorities in a country orregion and in accordance with the comparativeadvantage that WFP can bring in a particulartime and place. The overall framework anddirection provided by the Strategic Plan will beput in a country- and region-specific context todetermine WFP programmes and courses ofaction. In some situations, WFP may be neededto engage in all five Strategic Objectives. In othersituations, perhaps only one or two of theStrategic Objectives would be relevant to aparticular country and/or situation.

7. WFP’s greatest strength is its global deep fieldpresence combined with its hunger expertise,which makes it unique in the international system.WFP’s greatest asset is its staff, a strong anddedicated workforce of more than 10,000 womenand men, 90 percent of whom are deployed in thefield, often under difficult conditions wheresecurity threats and risks to personal safety areconsiderable.WFP, like other global actors on thefront line of humanitarian and other crises, facescritical challenges regarding the skillsdevelopment, training, deployment, security andwork/life balance of its staff. Maintaining theexcellence and motivation ofWFP staff will remaina top corporate priority, which is essential in orderfor the organization to uphold its high level ofperformance and effectiveness.

8. WFP will continue to be accountable for theefficient and effective use of the resourcesentrusted to it by closely monitoring andevaluating the outputs of its activities andmeasuring the outcomes and impact that canbe attributed to them. WFP will continue toconduct a biennial review of the Strategic Plan.WFP will also continue to manage for results atthe local, country, regional and Headquarterslevels. This includes a continuous carefulassessment of the risks and opportunitiesassociated with the implementation of itsStrategic Plan. The frameworks for corporateresults and risks will be defined in the revisedWFP Management Plan in accordance with thedirection laid out in this Strategic Plan. Thereporting on WFP’s performance against theobjectives set by the Strategic Plan will be donethrough its Annual Performance Report. WFP willalso ensure that lessons learned are fullyincorporated into future policies and activities.

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1 See for example the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness (2005), which many countries and development partners have endorsed.

CONTEXT

9. The implementation of this strategy will guidediscussions on WFP’s funding mechanisms,which may require adjustments. Paralleldiscussions will be held between the Secretariatand WFP membership to review WFP’s currentfunding frameworks and programme categoriesso as to ensure Member States can fully embracethe implementation of the Strategic Plan.Funding mechanisms should allow flexibility torespond effectively to varying contexts andneeds – including through greater predictabilityand less earmarking – while providing

accountability and transparency with regard tothe allocation of WFP resources. WFP willcontinue to follow the existing guidance of theExecutive Board concerning the allocation ofmultilateral resources for development.2 WFPwill allocate at least 90 percent of such resourcesto countries that are least developed or lowincome (gross national income per capitathree-year average under US$900) and thatface chronic malnutrition (measured as a25 percent or greater rate of stunting amongchildren under 5).

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2 See “Consolidated Framework of WFP Policies” (WFP/EB.2/2007/4-D).

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10. This Strategic Plan is based on WFP’s coreprinciples whereby its activities, includingemergency interventions, shall be:(1) carried out in conformity with humanitarian

principles, and therefore in ways thatcontribute to the safety and dignity ofaffected populations3 and goodhumanitarian donorship;

(2) as sustainable, efficient, effective, demand-driven and developmentally beneficial aspossible;

(3) responsive to the principles related to theright to food, and based on the practicalwisdom and needs of local populationswherever possible;

(4) as targeted and connected as possible tothe needs of the most vulnerable and tonational government priorities, programmesand strategies;

(5) based on a preventive approach, tacklingwhenever possible the root causes ofhunger and vulnerability arising fromnatural and human-induced disasters aswell as economic shocks;

(6) as innovative and accountable as possible,making use of best practices andknowledge, and enhanced by a continuedprocess of evaluation;

(7) innovative in promoting and assuring thenutritional dimension of food assistance,recognizing that hunger and undernutritionare major determinants of mortality,economic growth and prosperity, and alsokey aspects of the intergenerational cycle ofhunger;

(8) mindful of the powerful link betweengender and hunger: WFP will continueworking at programme, institutional andinter-agency levels to ensure gender

sensitivity and equality in all its efforts; and(9) designed and implemented to ensure the

coherent and optimal use of overallresources, including through partnershipsand hand-over to communities,governments, non-governmentalorganizations, or other United Nationsagencies whenever they can meet theshort- and long-term needs of the hungrypoor more effectively and efficiently.

11. WFP will be guided by the best public sectorand United Nations practices in governance,oversight, accountability, transparency, riskmanagement, results-based management,evaluation and ethics, in the pursuit of provenand innovative policies, operations andprogrammes.

12. WFP will continuously assess and align itsapproaches to changes in the external operatingand funding environments, and develop itsrange of tools in order to meet hunger andhumanitarian needs in ways that are as sensitiveas possible to local conditions, for example byusing vouchers and cash when appropriate, asan alternative or addition to food commodityresponses. Assistance and protection forrefugees and IDPs and those affected bypandemics will be given special attention, andtools such as vulnerability analysis and mapping(VAM) will continue to be further developed.

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3 See “Humanitarian Principles” (WFP/EB.1/2004/4-C).

WFP PARTNERSHIPS13. Partnerships are essential for WFP in order to

accomplish its mission and achieve itsobjectives. In fact, be it in precursor efforts,emergency response or during the transition tosustainable solutions to hunger, success willdepend not only on WFP’s own capacity, butalso on the extent to which WFP manages to bea partner for others – national governments,other United Nations organizations, NGOs or theprivate sector. WFP’s effort is an importantbuilding block in the fight against hunger, but itseffectiveness will be maximized only if it isaccompanied by other actors’ efforts orintegrated into a broader alliance. In particular,WFP will contribute to enhancing effectivepartnerships and coordination at the countrylevel to identify gaps, clarify how those gapsmight be best filled and ensure that overlaps areavoided. Partnerships are also crucial for aneffective handing over of WFP’s activities.

14. National and local governments andcommunities. The main actors – and partnersfor WFP – on the front line of hunger are thenational and local governments as well as thelocal communities. Communities andgovernments have the primary responsibility formeeting the hunger-related needs of theirpopulations. They also have unique depth andbreadth of knowledge about their peoples,including their needs, vulnerability, customs andpreferences. Moreover, they have oftendeveloped tools and policies that arecountry-specific and are thus the bestinstitutional and operational starting points forcomplementary hunger-reduction interventions.The priority of communities’ and governments’external partners should be to help them pursuetheir locally or nationally established priorities,

without duplicating or crowding out domesticframeworks and initiatives.

15. WFP’s partnerships with national governmentswill be implemented in a manner consistentwith the widely-recognized principles ofownership, alignment, harmonization,management for results and mutualaccountability. Effective partnerships withgovernments allow WFP not only to maximizethe effectiveness and efficiency of its activities,but also to ensure their local ownership andlong-term sustainability. Indeed, in allcircumstances, WFP will design and implementits interventions with a view to handing themover to country stakeholders (government, theprivate sector and/or civil society), who are thebest judges of whether and how to continuerunning them. Consistent with this approach,WFP will pay ever closer attention to knowledgesharing and capacity strengthening. WFP willalso reinforce countries’ capacities through itslocal food and non-food procurement activities.

16. In emergency contexts, when national capacitiesmight be overwhelmed, WFP can helpgovernments act, whether through directoperational involvement or responsecoordination. Governments should take the leadin disaster preparedness and response,coordination among actors and contingencyplanning. In recovery situations, governmentsusually face difficult tasks with stretchedcapacities, and WFP can help them restore andrebuild lives and livelihoods along the prioritiesthey define. In longer-term developmentcontexts, all WFP interventions must becoherent with and aligned to governments’priorities and frameworks. WFP will also furtherengage in relevant policy dialogue at national

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and local levels on hunger and food andnutrition security issues.

17. United Nations system and otherinternational agencies. Partnerships withUnited Nations system agencies and the BrettonWoods Institutions are central to WFP’s work inall of its proposed strategic objectives. Timelyand effective response during a humanitarianemergency requires close and effective WFPpartnerships with, among others, the Office forthe Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs(OCHA), the International Red Cross and RedCrescent Movement, the Office of the UnitedNations High Commissioner for Refugees(UNHCR), the United Nations Children’s Fund(UNICEF), and the World Health Organization(WHO). The partnership with UNICEF is alsocritical to WFP’s work on nutrition, educationand HIV/AIDS. Other important WFPpartnerships to break the chronicintergenerational cycle of hunger include theJoint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS(UNAIDS) of which WFP is a co-sponsor, theWorld Bank, the Consultative Group onInternational Agricultural Research (CGIAR), theUnited Nations Educational, Scientific andCultural Organization (UNESCO), the UnitedNations Development Programme (UNDP) andthe United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

18. Partnerships with the other Rome-basedagencies – FAO and the International Fund forAgricultural Development (IFAD) – are importantacross a wide range of areas because the threeinstitutions share a common interest, withdistinct but complementary mandates, inreducing hunger, food insecurity and ruralpoverty. WFP works closely with FAO on

humanitarian programmes, for example, in theareas of needs assessment and agriculturallivelihood and recovery activities. WFP’scollaboration with IFAD and FAO is and willremain a central element of the Programme’spartnership approach, at global, regional, andcountry level, for policy advocacy, analysis, andoperational activities to address chronic hungerand food security problems. WFP recognizes theleading expertise of FAO on agricultural inputs,for example seeds and fertilizers, and plays asupportive role in areas such as distribution andlogistics, when called upon by nationalgovernments and FAO.

19. National and international non-governmental organizations. NGOs areinstrumental in increasing WFP’s global deepfield presence.4 Their work is essential in bothshort- and long-term responses to hunger. Forexample, during emergency operations, theirvalue added includes assessment, targeting,selection of appropriate responses anddistribution and delivery of assistance –particularly in situations where national capacityin those areas is limited. Also, NGOs and civilsociety can raise awareness on, and advocate for,long-term commitments by governments toprioritize hunger in their strategic and policyframeworks.

20. The private sector. Local and global businessescan strengthen WFP’s response by providingcritical material assets related to ground and airtransportation as well as ICT at the onset of anemergency, through pre-arranged partnershipstructures. Moreover, corporations can providetechnical expertise and specialized personnel inareas linked to WFP’s operational needs – such

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4 See “Working with NGOs – A Framework for Partnership” (WFP/EB.A/2001/4-B).

as nutrition, security, logistics and financialbusiness modelling. Lastly, private donors maydirectly support WFP operations andprogrammes in developing countries, as shownby the on-going partnerships with the Bill &Melinda Gates Foundation, and with the Alliancefor a Green Revolution in Africa, whose goalsinclude helping millions of smallholder farmerslift themselves out of poverty.

21. United Nations clusters. Priority will be givento fulfilling WFP’s role and responsibilities as thecluster lead agency for logistics and emergencyICT services to the global United Nations–NGOhumanitarian system. This will be done by,

among other things, seeking innovative ways offinancing and maintaining crucial emergencypreparedness and rapid response capacitiessuch as emergency needs assessment,humanitarian response depots, humanitarian airservices and other logistics and transportcapabilities. WFP’s global leadership inaddressing acute hunger predates theestablishment of the cluster approach, butrequires continued attention to ensure thatacute hunger issues are effectively addressedand integrated into the cluster approach. Thecontinuing fulfilment of WFP’s leading role andresponsibilities in the United Nations clustersystem is dependent upon addressing the issuesof adequate, predictable and multi-year funding.In order to meet its cluster mandate, WFP mustcontinue to provide efficient, reliable andpredictable services to the entire humanitariancommunity while adopting a customer serviceapproach towards its operational responsibilities.

22. Working more coherently together.WFP willwork with governments, NGOs and UnitedNations partners in the Chief Executives Board,the United Nations Development Group (UNDG),the Executive Committee on HumanitarianAffairs (ECHA), the Inter-Agency StandingCommittee (IASC) and other relevant fora topromote more coherent work at capital andcountry level.5 These efforts must be designedto ensure a more effective and efficient UnitedNations. WFP will ensure that its activitiessupport overall United Nations aims andmultilateral efforts on behalf of conflictprevention, peacebuilding, development,humanitarian assistance, human rights and theUnited Nations Charter.

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5 See “United Nations Common Country Programme Approach – Implications for WFP” (WFP/EB.2/2005/4-H).

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STRATEGICOBJECTIVE ONE:SAVE LIVES ANDPROTECT LIVELIHOODSIN EMERGENCIES6

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23. When shocks or crises occur, the internationalcommunity expectsWFP to be ready to respond ifnational authorities need assistance. Governments,communities and families rely onWFP to do soquickly and effectively. This is a clear andfundamental core responsibility and expectation ofthe organization. In its interventions,WFP will payparticular attention to needs assessment,7

targeting,8 food and nutritional needs of vulnerablegroups9 and securing and maintaininghumanitarian access.10 WFP is committed tofulfilling its various United Nations clusterleadership responsibilities in order to help ensure acoordinated and optimal system response towhatever needs may arise in emergencies. Inpursuing the three goals below,WFP emergencyoperations will, to the extent possible, engage withother partners in early recovery11 interventions toprepare for a smooth response transition along therelief–recovery continuum.WFP will support earlyrecovery activities, including for IDPs and refugees,to generate self-sustaining and resilient post-crisisrecovery processes.

GOALS24. Goal 1:To save lives in emergencies and reduce

acutemalnutrition causedby shocks to belowemergency levelsThe first and most immediate priority after a shockis to save lives.WFP will also seek to reduce acutemalnutrition levels where the degree or extent ofthe problem requires urgent action to avoidirreparable harm to health or lives.WFP will

continue to make use of its emergency responsecapabilities to bring relief and reduce malnutritionto below emergency levels.WFP will also focus onensuring adequate micronutrient intake inemergencies as a means to prevent increasedmorbidity and mortality.

25. Goal 2:To protect livelihoods and enhance self-reliance in emergencies and early recoveryDuring emergencies, while some people mayhave lost their livelihoods altogether, others mayengage in negative coping strategies such asselling their assets and going into severe debt.WFP’s emphasis on protecting livelihoods12 –especially of vulnerable groups – has repeatedlybeen pointed out as a strength of theorganization.WFP will also protect livelihoods andrestore self-reliance in early-recovery situations.

26. Goal 3:To reach refugees, IDPs andothervulnerable groups and communitieswhosefood andnutrition security has been adverselyaffected by shocksIn emergency situations, particular attentionshould be paid to the specific needs of thosevulnerable groups, such as refugees and IDPs,that are disproportionably impacted by theconsequences of shocks. Reaching them oftendemands a field presence and logistics capacitiesthat only WFP can offer. WFP recognizes thatemergencies sometimes require the organizationto support IDPs and refugees for long periods. Insuch cases, there is a need for well-evaluated

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6 See“Definition of Emergencies”(WFP/EB.1/2005/4-A): “For purposes of WFP emergency projects, emergencies are defined as urgent situations in which there is clear evidence thatan event or series of events has occurred which causes human suffering or imminently threatens human lives or livelihoods and which the government concerned has not themeans to remedy; and it is a demonstrably abnormal event or series of events which produces dislocation in the life of a community on an exceptional scale.”

7 See “Emergency Needs Assessment” (WFP/EB.1/2004/4-A) and “Strengthening Emergency Needs Assessment: Final Progress Report on the Implementation Plan and Next Steps”(WFP/EB.2/2007/4-C).

8 See “Targeting in Emergencies” (WFP/EB.1/2006/5-A).

9 See “Nutrition in Emergencies: WFP Experience and Challenges” (WFP/EB.A/2004/5-A/3).

10 See “Humanitarian Access” (WFP/EB.1/2006/5-B).

11 See “Existing Emergencies” (WFP/EB.1/2005/4-B).

12 See “Food Aid and Livelihoods in Emergencies: Strategies for WFP” (WFP/EB.A/2003/5-A).

humanitarian assistance programmes to becontinuously financed through humanitarianfunds.

MAIN TOOLS27. General and targeted food assistance and

emergency nutrition interventions arefirst-response tools in situations where acutehunger is life-threatening after a shock. Thenutritional quality of the food provided is alsoinstrumental in tackling high acute malnutritionrates in emergency situations and in reducingmortality rates linked to hunger. Tools such asvouchers, cash and local procurement haveproven important in many situations.

28. Accurate and credible emergency needsassessments are critical for a swift and adequateemergency response. WFP conducts emergencyassessments and is an active partner in jointgovernment and inter-agency needsassessments. WFP sends assessment teamsimmediately after a shock to analyse the natureand dimension of the disaster, its effects onpopulations and whether or not food andnutrition assistance is needed. Based on thisinformation, WFP works with national authoritiesand others to mobilize resources and implementthe appropriate response.

29. WFP’s emergency logistics, specialoperations, and information andcommunications technology (ICT) capacity isa key part of its value-added and comparativeadvantage in the rapid response to shocks. Inaddition to WFP’s experience in, and ability toplan and execute, special operations thatprovide the necessary infrastructure to intervenewith food and other assistance, WFP haspermanent capacity on standby to address

urgent logistics and ICT needs. Essential logisticssupport in any humanitarian operation hingeson highly trained and mobile staff that issuperbly equipped and supported by state-of-the-art systems and facilities. WFP’s LogisticsBranch currently runs customized trainingcourses designed to prepare humanitarianpersonnel for the realities, rigours andexpectations of emergency response operations.An appropriate response within 48 hours ofdisaster onset not only has the immediateimpact of saving lives, it also sets the stage forthe efficient transition from relief to recovery tosustained development.

30. United Nations cluster leadership forlogistics and emergency ICT. WFP’s role asleader of the logistics cluster and co-leader ofthe emergency telecommunications cluster is tocoordinate services among partners and be theprovider of last resort. As cluster leader, WFPmust ensure efficient, reliable and predictablelogistics and ICT services to the humanitariancommunity; a degree of flexibility, sustainabilityand scalability must exist in order to succeed inthis endeavour. This adaptability is bestsymbolized by WFP’s Aviation Branch, itsShipping Branch and the United NationsHumanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD)Network, initiatives that have proved crucial inserving both WFP’s and the broaderhumanitarian community’s needs. WFP’s strategyof pre-positioning emergency food and supportequipment through the UNHRD Network relieson five strategically located depots providing thehumanitarian community with a global footprintthat will drastically reduce the cost of deployingrelief items, decrease response time and, mostimportantly, save lives.

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STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE ONE: SAVE LIVES AND PROTECTLIVELIHOODS IN EMERGENCIES

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STRATEGICOBJECTIVE TWO:PREVENT ACUTEHUNGER AND INVESTIN DISASTERPREPAREDNESS ANDMITIGATIONMEASURES13

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31. In many countries, the end of a disaster oftenbecomes the precursor of the next one, eitherbecause the first shock has undermined theresilience capacities of countries andcommunities, or because there is an underlyinglow level of disaster preparedness. There may beother destabilizing pressures – such as financial oreconomic volatility and fragility, soaring foodprices or reductions in contingency food stocksand reserves – that can impact resilience at itscore. These factors may be exacerbated byclimate change.

32. WFP already uses a wide range of tools tounderstand the nature and dimension of suchpressures and disasters. In order to preventoutbreaks of acute hunger caused by economicshocks and disasters, WFP will support theestablishment of early warning systems andvulnerability analysis capacities. ThusWFP canhelp communities, governments and theinternational community get ahead of the hungercurve – and therefore fight hunger moreeffectively and efficiently – by focusing particularattention on preparedness and disaster riskreduction and mitigation.WFP’s specific role indisaster risk reduction will be aligned with theHyogo Framework for Action 2005–2015 and theInternational Strategy for Disaster Reduction.WFPactivities will be integrated wherever possible intoexisting frameworks and/or partners’efforts.

GOALS33. Goal 1: To support and strengthen capacities

of governments to prepare for, assess andrespond to acute hunger arising fromdisastersAs in other areas, governments must take thelead in predicting, mitigating, assessing and

responding to disasters. WFP will share itsexpertise related to early warning systems,contingency planning approaches, vulnerabilityanalysis and mapping, management ofhumanitarian stocks and national emergencystocks, and public storage and distributionsystems to inform and strengthen governments’capacity to prepare for, assess and respond toacute hunger arising from disasters.

34. Goal 2: To support and strengthen resiliencyof communities to shocks through safetynets or asset creation, including adaptationto climate changeCommunities are on the front line of shocks;thus their resilience capacities make asignificant difference to the immediate andlonger-term impact of a shock on lives andlivelihoods. WFP will develop nutrition, school-feeding and other safety-net programmesaimed at reinforcing the resilience ofcommunities in food-insecure areas subject tofrequent disasters. WFP will build on thestrengths of its food-for-asset programmes14 tohelp communities mitigate the potentialimpact of shocks, especially in areas vulnerableto recurring crises. WFP will pay particularattention to the recommendations of theDirector-General of FAO that WFP expands itsfood-for-asset programmes in support ofagricultural livelihoods, for instance small-scaleirrigation projects.

35. Under the leadership of the Secretary-General,the United Nations has initiated a process toalign the strengths of all its organizations incoordinated action to meet the challenges ofclimate change, and has identified disaster risk

17

13 See “An Update on WFP Interventions on Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation” (WFP/EB.1/2007/5-B).

14 See “Joint Evaluation of Effectiveness and Impact of the Enabling Development Policy of the World Food Programme”, February 2005.

reduction as a key priority. Helping vulnerablepeople to cope with the food and nutritionsecurity impacts of a changing environment isnot an abstract or new line of work for WFP: theorganization has long worked withgovernments, for example in Ethiopia, todevelop communities’ resilience and adaptivecapacity to climate-related disasters.

MAIN TOOLS36. Vulnerability analysis andmapping in

countries where WFP has a continuing presencehelps identify the hungry poor, where they arelocated, the nature and causes of theirvulnerabilities and the most appropriate set ofinterventions with the right balance of food,voucher, cash and other non-food elements.WFP has the largest team of dedicated andtrained vulnerability analysis officers in thehumanitarian community, which represents aclear comparative advantage in analysinghunger-related issues at the field level. This VAMwork, undertaken in partnership with nationalgovernments and also used by other actors, canbe complemented by contingency planningactivities and assessments of logistics capacitiesand constraints. VAM must be continuallyupdated to take into account factors such asmarkets and food prices.

37. Through its early warning products and tools,WFP helps communities understand andanticipate shocks, including those spurred byclimate change. These products and toolsenable timely and informed decisions andactions that enhance preparedness andresponses. These capacities also rendercommunities less risk-adverse, which canincrease productivity and enhance income.Building on its expertise, WFP can also helpgovernments put such systems in place at thenational level.

38. Disaster preparedness andmitigationprogrammes are significant opportunities toenhance sustainable development. The centralneed is to raise awareness, bring aboutengagement in preparedness in all parts ofsociety and translate assessment of local risksinto protective measures.

39. WFP has an array of programmes to helpcommunities reinforce their essential foodand nutrition security systems andinfrastructures, as well as their adaptabilityto climate change— including voucher, cashand food-based safety nets. Thesecommunity-based programmes to build assetshelp communities create the most appropriatesocial and economic infrastructure to strengthenlivelihoods and therefore put communities in abetter position to cope with whatever shocksmay arise. Safety nets and other programmesthat make use of voucher and cash mechanismsand leverage local purchases can be designedand developed in ways that promote food andnutrition security while being linked to localinvestment.

18

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE TWO: PREVENT ACUTE HUNGER AND INVESTIN DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND MITIGATION MEASURES

19

STRATEGICOBJECTIVE THREE:RESTORE AND REBUILDLIVES ANDLIVELIHOODS INPOST-CONFLICT,POST-DISASTEROR TRANSITIONSITUATIONS15

20

40. This Strategic Objective concerns WFP’sextended recovery work. Recovery situations inthe transition between emergencies anddevelopment should represent a full-fledgedcontext of intervention that involves specificneeds and calls for appropriate responses. Dueto the nature of its interventions, WFP bringsunique capabilities – including its deep andwell-accepted field presence – and does crucialwork in this area. The tools and approachesused in such situations need to help facilitatethe transition from relief and recovery tosustainable development – an effort that willinvolve many other national and internationalactors and require longer and more extendedplanning and implementation timeframes.

41. Through this Strategic Objective, WFP will offerassistance in ways that contribute to the criticalefforts of individuals, communities andcountries to recover and rebuild in the longer-term aftermath of an emergency. WFP can dothis by supporting the return of refugees andIDPs and the re-establishment of livelihoods forrecovering communities, thereby enhancinghuman security and helping to preventconflicts from restarting. This will also oftenrequire rebuilding food delivery systems andcommunity services infrastructure so thatmarkets can gradually return to functioningand beneficiaries can return to satisfying theirneeds by themselves. The third critical goal forWFP in this area is to strengthen the recoveryand rebuilding capacities of countries andcommunities.

42. WFP will deploy a range of tools to helpprevent transition situations from collapsingand/or returning to conditions of conflict or

instability. WFP has a strong comparativeadvantage working in these contexts due to itsdeep field presence, experience and capacityto deliver assistance in poor securityenvironments. Any WFP intervention intransition situations has to be context-specific,fill acknowledged gaps, leverage partnerships,and recruit and strengthen the capacities ofnational and other actors in an appropriatetimeframe.

GOALS43. Goal 1: To support the return of refugees and

IDPs through food and nutrition assistanceOnce the immediate response has enabledvulnerable individuals and communities tosurvive, it is important to help them get back ontheir feet. Re-establishment of livelihoods ofrefugees and IDPs, supported by WFP food andnutrition assistance, plays a crucial role intransition situations, helping countries andcommunities to kick-start longer-termdevelopment processes.

44. Goal 2: To support the re-establishment oflivelihoods and food and nutrition security ofcommunities and families affected by shocksAfter they end, emergencies often leave long-lasting destitution and vulnerability.Accompanying communities and families on thepath to recovery requires WFP to shift from itsmostly reactive work in the immediate aftermathof a shock to a future-focused, pro-activeapproach that helps individuals andcommunities gain assets and build sustainablelivelihoods. In post-conflict situations, this workcan bring local and tangible peace dividends.This can be of critical importance, especiallywhen peace is still fragile.

21

15 See “Transition from Relief to Development” (WFP/EB.A/2004/5-B).

45. Goal 3: To assist in establishing or rebuildingfood supply or delivery capacities ofcountries and communities affected byshocks and help to avoid the resumption ofconflictsFood availability or access can be longhampered by weak food supply or deliverycapacity at the national and local levels, evenafter shocks have ceased to produce theireffects. WFP has extensive experience andexpertise to share with countries andcommunities to help them put in place systemsthat ensure sustainable availability of food, aswell as economic and physical access to food,throughout areas affected by shocks.

MAIN TOOLS46. Targeted programmes that facilitate the re-

establishment of livelihoods.WFP has joinednational governments and other partners inmany countries to use food and nutritionassistance, be it cash or commodities, as a criticalenabler for re-establishing livelihoods throughproductive safety nets. By integrating assistanceinto national social protection strategies, safetynets help prevent duplication of effort and assistgovernments in developing sustainablefood-assistance systems.

47. Special operations to rebuild essentialhunger-related infrastructure. In addition toincreasing the effectiveness and efficiency offood and nutrition assistance delivery inemergency situations, WFP special operationsoften underpin and act as a catalyst for therecovery processes by rebuilding infrastructuresthat are crucial in the proper functioning of foodand nutrition security systems. These operationswill continue to serve the needs of WFP, the localcommunities and the broader humanitarian

community, as their usefulness goes far beyondthe capacity of transporting food and nutritionassistance.

48. Food distribution programmes that facilitatere-establishment of food and nutritionsecurity. The main issues in the aftermath ofshocks are often both availability and access tofood. When markets have stopped functioningand infrastructure has broken down, food maynot be available. Re-establishing food andnutrition security, including through targetedfood distribution programmes, is often a criticalpriority.

49. Voucher and cash-based programmes thatfacilitate food access. As markets andinfrastructure are re-established, food may beavailable but disaster-affected populations mayno longer have the income and livelihoods thatallow them to access that food. In suchcircumstances, voucher and cash programmescan be highly effective tools to facilitate accessto food while at the same time supporting there-emergence of markets. These programmesare best combined with activities that helpbeneficiaries re-establish their livelihoods.

50. Capacity strengthening for the re-establishment of community serviceinfrastructure.WFP can play a critical role inproviding governments with assistance tore-establish their food delivery systems, parts ofwhich have often been destroyed through ashock.

22

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE THREE: RESTORE AND REBUILD LIVES AND LIVELIHOODSIN POST-CONFLICT, POST-DISASTER OR TRANSITION SITUATIONS

23

STRATEGICOBJECTIVE FOUR:REDUCE CHRONICHUNGER ANDUNDERNUTRITION

24

51. High rates of chronic hunger and undernutrition(including micronutrient deficiencies) are acause of high mortality and hamper thedevelopment prospects of certain countries andcommunities. Preventing deaths related tochronic hunger and undernutrition is one of thegreatest challenges of our time. In accordancewith the requests and needs of governmentsand communities, WFP will partner with othersto support or implement programmes thataddress chronic hunger and undernutrition.16

WFP will particularly focus its activities ongroups that are the most vulnerable to theconsequences of hunger – especially childrenand women. In this context, WFP’s activities willalways be aligned with and supportive ofcountry-led policy and strategic frameworks,recognizing that the organization’s comparativeadvantages need to be well-integrated intobroader national and partner efforts.

GOALS52. Goal 1: To help countries bring

undernutrition below critical levels andbreak the intergenerational cycle of chronichungerWithin a life-cycle approach to hunger andundernutrition, WFP has long addressed those“windows of opportunities” that reap the greatestand most sustainable benefits, specificallymothers and young children. WFP will supportand – when governments cannot do it andrequest WFP to intervene directly – implementactivities that prevent the intergenerational cycleof chronic hunger from perpetuating itself andbring undernutrition (including micronutrientdeficiencies) below critical levels.17

53. Goal 2: To increase levels of education andbasic nutrition and health through food andnutrition assistance and food and nutritionsecurity toolsPoor levels of education and health stronglyaffect the physical and intellectual growth ofindividuals, and constrain the economic andsocial development of nations.18 WFP willcontinue to work with governments, localcommunities and other partners to support andsometimes implement programmes thatincrease levels of formal and informal educationas well as of basic nutrition and health, withparticular attention given to women andchildren.

54. Goal 3: To meet the food and nutrition needsof those affected by HIV/AIDS, tuberculosisand other pandemicsThe impacts of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and otherpandemics are reversing hard-wondevelopment gains in certain countries andcommunities. Under the UNAIDS division oflabour, WFP is the lead agency for dietary andnutrition support among the co-sponsors, andWFP is committed to providing food andnutrition support in conjunction with partnersand as an essential element to prevention,treatment and mitigation within national HIVprogrammes and strategies.19

MAIN TOOLS55. Mother-and-child health and nutrition

(MCHN) programmes.WFP partners withgovernments, local communities and others tosupport or implement MCHN programmes thataim to improve the nutritional status of children

25

16 See “Food for Nutrition: Mainstreaming Nutrition in WFP” (WFP/EB.A/2004/5-A/1).

17 See “Micronutrient Fortification: WFP Experiences and Ways Forward” (WFP/EB.A/2004/5-A/2).

18 See WFP, 2006, World Hunger Series – Hunger and Learning, WFP and Stanford University Press; and WFP, 2007, World Hunger Series – Hunger and Health, WFP and Earthscan.

19 See “Programming in the Era of AIDS: WFP’s Response to HIV/AIDS” (WFP/EB.1/2003/4-B).

under 5 years of age as well as of pregnant andlactating women and prevent life-longconsequences of poor nutrition at the early stagesof life. A key element of these programmes issupplementary feeding given through local healthclinics or community-based approaches.

56. School feeding programmes.WFP partnerswith national governments, localcommunities and others on school feedingprogrammes that enable millions of childrenevery year to concentrate on their classesrather than on hunger. Educators, politiciansand economists around the world, as well as

Africa’s New Partnership for Africa’sDevelopment (NEPAD), have embracedschool feeding – especially when food isproduced and purchased locally – as anintervention that helps break the cycle ofhunger and poverty. Providing meals atschool encourages enrolment andattendance, particularly among girls;improves learning through betterconcentration, making other educationinstruments more effective; helps promotegood nutrition; and makes it possible for poorfamilies to send hungry children to schoolrather than have them look for food or work.

26

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE FOUR: REDUCE CHRONIC HUNGERAND UNDERNUTRITION

57. School feeding is also an ideal platform to deliverboth macro and micronutrients and develop thelocal production of complementary foods that arecrucial for school-age children to grow to their fullphysical and intellectual potential. Through“take-home rations”, school feeding programmesencourage families to send girls to school or toopen their homes to orphans. Through its localpurchases of food, school feeding can alsopromote sustainable development solutions bysupporting the development of reliable marketsfor small farmers and local producers, as well ashelping them access those markets. Furthermore,school feeding programmes represent along-term and sustainable solution to hungersince their impact on education levels, especiallythose of adolescent girls, will help break theintergenerational cycle of hunger andundernutrition.Within this context, school feedingprogrammes can transform schools into“development centres” for the whole communityby providing a“ready-to-use”channel throughwhich a broader range of services can bedelivered.When crises strike, school feedingprogrammes can also play a particularly importantrole as a platform to reach children in need.

58. Programmes addressing andmitigatingHIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and other pandemics.As part of a comprehensive package oftreatment, care and support for people livingwith HIV and/or tuberculosis, food and nutritionprogrammes are being implemented in manyhigh-prevalence countries. Such programmes: (i)enable food-insecure people to seek treatment;(ii) help optimize the benefits derived fromtreatment; (iii) facilitate nutritional recovery; (iv)support treatment adherence, particularlyduring the initial vulnerable period; and (v)enable children to get an education that helps

protect their future. WFP works withgovernments to ensure that food and nutritionsupport is included in national tuberculosisprogrammes and in the budgets of their AIDSplans. WFP will work with governments, civilsociety and others to plan for and respond tothe potential hunger-related consequences froma health crisis such as human influenza related toa highly-pathogenic avian influenza virus.

59. Policy and programmatic advice. Theinternational community has strongly affirmedthe primary responsibility of nationalgovernments in leading the fight against hungerand meeting the MDGs. WFP has a long andsuccessful history of working with governmentsto design and manage food and nutritionassistance programmes. In the changingenvironment of humanitarian and developmentaid, this essential aspect of WFP’s work isbecoming even more relevant.

27

STRATEGICOBJECTIVE FIVE:STRENGTHEN THECAPACITIES OFCOUNTRIES TO REDUCEHUNGER, INCLUDINGTHROUGH HAND-OVERSTRATEGIES AND LOCALPURCHASE

28

60. When governments make the fight againsthunger and undernutrition a top priority, realprogress can be achieved. WFP and its partnersmust work with national governments toensure that hunger and undernutrition are notviewed as mere by-products of poverty, whichit is assumed will disappear if and whenpoverty decreases. Instead, specific measuresare required to integrate hunger-reductionmeasures into broader growth and povertyreduction strategies. This implies sufficientpolicy and operational capacities at thenational and the local levels. Since its inceptionin 1962, WFP has worked to fight hunger andpromote food and nutrition security throughfood and nutrition assistance. The organizationhas therefore acquired an unparalleledexperience and strong expertise in those issues,reinforced by the knowledge it has gained fromclose contact with beneficiaries, due to its deepfield presence. Sharing this experience andknowledge in order to strengthen thecapacities of countries to reduce hunger is anapproach that WFP has long taken within itsactivities, and that will become even morerelevant in the changing environment ofdevelopment and humanitarian aid.

61. Food and nutrition assistance programmes canand should be designed in a way that reapsdouble benefits for beneficiaries – and is at thesame time more cost-effective for WFP. Foodand non-food local purchasing activities aresupporting the capacity of countries andcommunities to enhance employmentopportunities and develop sustainablelivelihoods. WFP is committed to utilizing itspurchasing power, when and where possible,to develop suppliers’ capacities and build up

with other partners complementaryinterventions aimed at reinforcing the supplyside. Pilot local procurement activities can bemainstreamed into WFP’s procurementpractices and, more importantly, adopted andscaled up by national governments and otheractors in agricultural sectors. It must beunderstood, however, that WFP’s top priority inprocurement is to address humanitarian needsas effectively as possible.

GOALS62. Goal 1: To use purchasing power to support

the sustainable development of food andnutrition security systems, and transformfood and nutrition assistance into aproductive investment in localcommunities.WFP will pursue this goal by: purchasing foodlocally to support national agricultural sectors,with a special focus on smallholder farming;20

strengthening local transport andcommunication services and networks throughlocal purchases; and the procurement of otherservices in a way that ensures a positive spill-over effect on broader economic and marketdevelopment. WFP’s priority will be to reachthose in need with the right quality andquantity of assistance through local marketswhenever feasible, in ways that do notcompromise WFP’s primary objective to deliveradequate and timely food and nutritionassistance, and that transform such assistanceinto a productive investment in localcommunities. In many cases, WFP’s purchasingpower applied in this way could represent auseful partnership opportunity for agenciessuch as FAO in stimulating a supply responsefrom small farmers.

29

20 See “Food Procurement in Developing Countries” (WFP/EB.1/2006/5-C).

63. Goal 2: To develop clear hand-over strategiesto enhance nationally owned hungersolutions.WFP will design a clear hand-over strategy as acrucial component of its interventions. This willallow WFP to improve the sustainability and theefficacy of its interventions by supporting theparticipation of the relevant partners during theimplementation phase and ensuring aprogressively increasing degree of localownership. WFP will need to assess the partners’willingness, readiness and resource availability totake over already during the design phase of itsprogrammes. WFP will also need to betterintegrate its activities into national povertyreduction strategies, as well as dedicate some ofits resources to strengthening partner capacitiesin areas where partners still show a significantgap between their current capacity and thecapacity needed to successfully take over fromWFP at the time of planned hand-over.

64. Goal 3: To strengthen the capacities ofcountries to design, manage and implementtools, policies and programmes to predictand reduce hunger.Within the framework of the United Nationsworking more coherently together, WFP will usepolicy advice and advocacy to help countriesfight hunger. WFP can do this by helpingcountries establish vulnerability analysiscapacities at national level that permit theprioritization of hunger in national and strategicframeworks;21 sharing WFP’s experience inhunger reduction policies and approaches; andadvocating and raising awareness in nationaland international fora on all forms of hunger,including chronic hunger.

MAIN TOOLS65. WFP’s procurement activities for food and

non-food commodities are a centralmechanism through which this StrategicObjective will be achieved. Priority must begiven to local purchases when this does notconflict with other requirements of WFPoperations, namely the provision of adequateand timely food and nutrition assistance.Those procurement activities must also helpproducers and service providers develop theskills and capacities they need to producehigh-quality food able to reach moredeveloped markets, thereby promoting thesustainability of WFP’s development impacts.WFP will add value by conductingprocurement in a way that strengthens thesupply side, bringing togethercomplementary interventions by otherpartners.

66. Hand-over ofWFP hunger tools. WFP willdesign its activities from the outset for asmooth hand-over. WFP will then need toassess at the outset which partner(s) couldtake over the leadership once WFPdisengages, as well as those partners’capacities to do so and the possibleremaining gaps. WFP will budget within itsprogrammes for capacity-strengtheningactivities to help partners address those gaps.

67. Policy and programmatic advice. The shiftsin the development aid environment meanthat the most effective way for WFP to helptackle hunger is often to complement andamplify the resources and beneficiaryknowledge of governments andcommunities with WFP’s own technical

30

21 See “Engagement in Poverty Reduction Strategies” (WFP/EB.A/2006/5-B).

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE FIVE: STRENGTHEN THE CAPACITIES OF COUNTRIES TO REDUCEHUNGER, INCLUDING THROUGH HAND-OVER STRATEGIES AND LOCAL PURCHASE

expertise and capacity. At the request ofcountries or communities,22 WFP will giveadvice on the design and management ofhunger-reduction programmes and policies.To do this, WFP will rely on its extensiveexperience as well as its global reach which,in particular, allows it to transfer successesand lessons learned from one country toanother. Policy advice on hunger-relatedissues also has a role to play in emergencysettings, even if that role takes a differentshape that emphasizes quick response andcoordination capacities and the ability tomeet emergency needs.

68. Advocacy. Political awareness is the first step inthe fight against hunger. WFP has long beenconfronted with this fact and has thus createda broad and successful variety of instrumentsto disseminate information on, explain, andmobilize resources to fight global hunger.Advocacy will continue to play a prominentpart in WFP’s activities at the field, regional andglobal levels, in order to reach the whole rangeof actors in the fight against hunger.Furthermore, WFP will use the impact of itsadvocacy in the pursuit of a variety ofobjectives – from fundraising for its operationsto influence on broader policy issues, such asclimate change – that are instrumental inaffecting positively the fight against hunger.

31

22 See “Building Country and Regional Capacities” (WFP/EB.3/2004/4-B).

TABLE OF CONTENTS2 CONTEXT

6 OVERARCHING APPROACH

12 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE ONE: SAVE LIVES ANDPROTECT LIVELIHOODS IN EMERGENCIES

Goals1. To save lives in emergencies and reduce acute

malnutrition caused by shocks to below emergencylevels

2. To protect livelihoods and enhance self-reliancein emergencies and early recovery

3. To reach refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs),and other vulnerable groups and communities whosefood and nutrition security has been adversely affectedby shocks

Main Tools• General and targeted food assistance and emergency

nutrition interventions• Emergency needs assessments• Emergency logistics, special operations, and information

and communications technology (ICT) capacity• United Nations cluster leadership for logistics

and emergency ICT

16 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE TWO: PREVENTACUTE HUNGER AND INVEST IN DISASTERPREPAREDNESS ANDMITIGATION MEASURES

Goals1. To support and strengthen capacities of governments

to prepare for, assess and respond to acute hungerarising from disasters

2. To support and strengthen resiliency of communitiesto shocks through safety nets or asset creation,including adaptation to climate change

Main Tools• Vulnerability analysis and mapping• Early warning products and tools• Disaster preparedness and mitigation programmes• Programmes to help communities reinforce their

essential food and nutrition security systems andinfrastructures, as well as their adaptability to climatechange – including voucher, cash and food-basedsafety nets

20 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE THREE: RESTOREAND REBUILD LIVES AND LIVELIHOODSIN POST-CONFLICT, POST-DISASTEROR TRANSITION SITUATIONS

Goals1. To support the return of refugees and IDPs through food

and nutrition assistance2. To support the re-establishment of livelihoods and food

and nutrition security of communities and familiesaffected by shocks

3. To assist in establishing or rebuilding food supplyor delivery capacities of countries and communitiesaffected by shocks and help to avoid the resumptionof conflict

Main Tools• Targeted programmes that facilitate the re-

establishment of livelihoods• Special operations to rebuild essential hunger-related

infrastructure• Food distribution programmes that facilitate

re-establishment of food and nutrition security• Voucher and cash-based programmes that facilitate

food access• Capacity strengthening for the re-establishment

of community service infrastructure

24 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE FOUR: REDUCECHRONIC HUNGER AND UNDERNUTRITION

Goals1. To help countries bring undernutrition below critical

levels and break the intergenerational cycle of chronichunger

2. To increase levels of education and basic nutritionand health through food and nutrition assistance andfood and nutrition security tools

3. To meet the food and nutrition needs of those affectedby HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and other pandemics

Main Tools• Mother-and-child health and nutrition (MCHN)

programmes• School feeding programmes• Programmes addressing and mitigating HIV/AIDS,

tuberculosis and other pandemics• Policy and programmatic advice

28 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE FIVE: STRENGTHENTHE CAPACITIES OF COUNTRIES TO REDUCEHUNGER, INCLUDING THROUGH HAND-OVERSTRATEGIES AND LOCAL PURCHASE

Goals1. To use purchasing power to support the sustainable

development of food and nutrition security systems,and transform food and nutrition assistance intoa productive investment in local communities

2. To develop clear hand-over strategies to enhancenationally owned hunger solutions

3. To strengthen the capacities of countries to design,manage and implement tools, policies and programmesto predict and reduce hunger

Main Tools• WFP’s procurement activities• Hand-over ofWFP hunger tools• Policy and programmatic advice• Advocacy

Acronyms used in the document:

Photo credits

CGIAR Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research

ECHA Executive Committee on Humanitarian Affairs

FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

IASC Inter-Agency Standing Committee

ICT information and communications technology

IDP internally displaced person

IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development

MCHN mother-and-child health and nutrition

MDG Millennium Development Goal

NEPAD New Partnership for Africa’s Development

NGO Non-governmental organizations

OCHA Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

UNAIDS Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS

UNDG United Nations Development Group

UNDP United Nations Development Programme

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

UNFPA United Nations Population Fund

UNHCR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund

UNHRD United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot

VAM vulnerability analysis and mapping

WHO World Health Organization

Cover shot: Kenya, WFP/Marcus Prior; Page 3: Uganda, WFP/Vanessa Vick; Page 5: Sudan, WFP/Antonia Paradela; Page 6: Myanmar, WFP/Kyaw Zaw Tun;Page 7: Myanmar, WFP/Kyaw Zaw Tun; Page 10: Somalia, WFP/Peter Smerdon; Page 11: Somalia, WFP/Peter Smerdon; Page 12: Mozambique,WFP/MichaelHuggins; Page 15: Sudan,WFP/Fred Noy; Page 16: Somalia,WFP/Franz Lemmens; Page 18: Bangladesh,WFP/Abdul Mannan; Page 19: Myanmar,WFP/EddieGerald; Page 20: Guatemala,WFP/Maria Reppas; Page 23: Afghanistan,WFP/Ebadullah Ebadi; Page 24: Ethiopia,WFP/Paulette Jones; Page 26: Laos,WFP/TomGreenwood; Page27: Laos,WFP/TomGreenwood; Page28:Myanmar,WFP/HeatherHill; Page31:Myanmar,WFP/Marcus Prior; Back Page :Mali,WFP/Marcus Prior

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