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Colombia + 1 more

WFP Colombia Country Brief, September 2018

Attachments

In Numbers

509.3 mt of food assistance distributed

1.216.631 USD cash-based transfers made

USD 56.5 m six months (October 2018 - March 2019) net funding requirements

141.234 people assisted in September 2018

Operational Updates

• According to the Constitutional Court, some indigenous communities in the country are at risk of physical or cultural extermination due to forced displacement and homicides of its members. One of these indigenous communities are the Hitnu people in Arauca department. The armed conflict put their hunting and fishing livelihoods at risk and the community now faces high levels of food insecurity. The Unit for Victims Assistance (UARIV) and the Municipality of Puerto Rondón are supporting the resettlement of displaced Hitnu indigenous families, through housing improvement, the development of food production activities, and the promotion of access to basic services, particularly to health care. In order to complement these actions, WFP provided food assistance to 150 affected families through vouchers, which allows them to access a variety of healthy foods.

• In coordination with UARIV and local authorities, WFP provided food assistance 830 confined families (4,100 people) belonging to Afro-Colombian communities in Cantón de San Pablo, LLoró and Medio Baudó municipalities in Chocó department. These communities have been facing severe mobility restrictions caused by clashes between illegal armed groups, limiting their access to food.

• In partnership with the Government of Nariño, WFP supports the implementation of a plastic waste recycle management system in the municipality of Mosquera. This municipality lacks an adequate management of solid waste, leading to polluted water sources and coastal ecosystems on which communities depend for their livelihoods (fishing and activities related to the mangroves). This initiative also generates income for the community. The families participating in the project used to live in rural areas and traditionally depended on fishing activities. However, due to violence caused by the armed conflict, they were forced to leave their homes and settle in urban areas. Currently these families participate in the collection, classification and selection of plastic waste. The rigid material is selected and taken to a crushing and agglutinating plant that was established by the Government of Nariño in partnership with the local government of Mosquera. The blocks of plastic wood are commercialized and used in parks, schools and other public infrastructure. Non-rigid plastic waste, such as packages, bags and other items are also classified and used. Beneficiary families participate in training sessions organized by WFP on nutrition and healthy habits.

• WFP promotes efficient procurement models that link smallholder production to private and institutional markets. In the department of Valle del Cauca, WFP promoted the participation of small holder producers in a regional business roundtable on local public procurement for institutional programs such as the School Meals Programme.

• WFP is currently responding to the food needs of migrants from Venezuela through voucher distributions in Nariño, Arauca and Norte de Santander departments. WFP also provides food assistance to communities receiving a significant number of migrants from Venezuela with food kits in La Guajira, and continues supporting community kitchens in Norte de Santander, Arauca, La Guajira and Nariño departments. In La Guajira, 13 new community kitchens were opened, and In Arauca 3 additional community kitchens started to operate in September.

• Results from the joint WFP-FAO-UNICEF food security and nutrition assessment in La Guajira, Norte de Santander and Arauca departments will be shared with central and local government authorities in October.