The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced today it would provide a $13 million award to support vulnerable households in response to rising food insecurity in the country. The announcement was made today in Tajikistan by USAID Deputy Administrator Isobel Coleman, UN World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director Adham Musallam, and the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) Country Representative Osama Makkawi Khogali.
The funding will enable WFP to support vulnerable communities to better meet their food needs and strengthen government capacity to address the impacts of concurring shocks. Approximately 200,000 people are anticipated to receive unconditional cash transfers, along with livelihoods support.
UNICEF will provide essential services to prevent and treat child malnutrition, including technical assistance to increase access to nutrition care services for 270,000 children under five years and 240,000 pregnant and lactating women. Approximately 300 health facilities will receive assistance and training so that they may better provide essential nutrition services.
The latest WFP food security assessment shows that the combined impact of remittance losses due to the conflict in Ukraine and food price increases could exacerbate severe food insecurity in Tajikistan from one to eight percent, resulting in about 800,000 people falling into severe food insecurity. WFP is closely monitoring household-level food security and market situation, as well as mobilizing funds in support of food-insecure families in the country.
Source: US Agency for International Development