AU hails Egypt's Country Strategic Plan (2018 - 2023) in cooperation with WFP

CAIRO, Sept 23 (MENA) - The African Union (AU) Commission has hailed efforts exerted by the Ministry of International Cooperation and the World Food Program (WFP) to develop Egypt's rural areas and junior farmers in Upper Egypt.

This came during a tour by Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al Mashaat accompanied by Menghestab Haile, WFP Representative and Country Director in Egypt, of a number of development projects carried out in the governorates of Qena and Luxor as part of the WFP's Egypt Country Strategic Plan (2018 - 2023).

Director of AU Commission head office Abdoulaye Diop congratulated in a tweet minister Mashaat and Menghestab Haile, over the successful plan.

WFP’s Egypt country strategic plan for the period 2018–2023 is the result of extensive consultations with the Government and other partners detailed in a 2017 synthesis report,2 and builds on lessons learned from past and current WFP operations, said WFP on its website.

The country strategic plan focuses on strengthening national capacity to tackle the underlying causes of vulnerability to food insecurity and malnutrition while responding to humanitarian needs, including those of refugees and migrants in Egypt.

WFP will support Egypt’s South–South cooperation efforts to foster resilient livelihoods in the region, linking to Egypt’s national priorities in agricultural development and food security.

The country strategic plan contributes to Egypt’s United Nations partnership development framework and WFP’s Strategic Results 1, 2, 4 and 5, with a focus on Sustainable Development Goals 2, and 17, while also contributing to Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 13.

Egypt’s country strategic plan addresses four WFP Strategic Results: number 1 – everyone has access to food; number 2 – no one suffers from malnutrition; number 4 – food systems are sustainable; and number 5 – developing countries have strengthened capacities to implement the SDGs. Its areas of support have been elaborated through five strategic outcomes:

Strategic outcome 1: Food-insecure and most-vulnerable children and families in targeted areas of Egypt have access to adequate food all year round.

Strategic outcome 2: Food-insecure refugees, displaced populations and host communities in Egypt have access to adequate food all year round.

Strategic outcome 3: Targeted populations in Egypt have improved nutritional status by 2030.

Strategic outcome 4: Vulnerable smallholder farmer and Bedouin communities in targeted governorates of Egypt have resilient livelihoods by 2030.

Strategic outcome 5: The Government of Egypt has enhanced capacity to target and assist vulnerable populations and share its experience with selected countries to achieve zero hunger by 2030.