LOC11:53
08:53 GMT
GENEVA, Oct 24 (KUNA) -- The World food Porgramme (WFP) said on Wednsday
that the proportion of undernourished in Madagascar has increased from 29
percent during the period 2007 - 2009 to 33 percent for 2010 - 2012.
WFP in Madagascar is addressing malnutrition and food insecurity challenges
caused by recurrent droughts, cyclones/floods and aggravated by extreme
poverty as well as a protracted political and economic crisis.
WFP targets one million people in 2013 focusing on reducing chronic and
seasonal food insecurity, Food security is directly affected by political
instability, economic downturn, limited access to basic social services and
natural disasters.
35 percent of the households are food insecure and 48 percent are
vulnerable to food insecurity, said the WFP.
Over one million school-age children are currently out of school due to the
current crisis, which directly limits their access to food aid through the
school meals program.
Seventy per cent of WFP's work in the country takes place in the south.
WFP was forced to hold the already limited food dispatch to 24 schools out
of 1,200 in the Amboasary and Betroka districts, which are the ones most
affected by bandits attacks, due to the violence and lack of funding.
In 2011/12, due to erratic rainfall, 28 municipalities demonstrated
deterioration in food security.
In the most affected municipalities, the majority of the households
currently have limited or less than a three-week stock.
676,000 people are considered as at risk during the lean season (October
2012 - March 2013), including 327,000 severely food insecure people who need
immediate assistance.
WFP has the capacity to assist only 89,000 beneficiaries in the 12 most
affected municipalities with 2,000 MT of food under the food-for-work
modality. Assistance covers the period October - December 2012.
In prevision of the 2012/ 2013 cyclonic season, WFP can only pre-position
some 600 MT of contingency stock out of the planned 1,000 MT due to funding
shortages and late arrival of commodities.
Shortfalls could also disrupt the school meals program. With no resources
secured, WFP may have to suspend school meals activities from January 2013.
This will coincide with the height of the lean season and increase risk that
children abandon schools.
Due to shortfalls, new beneficiaries were not admitted into the
tuberculosis in spite of confirmed needs.. This will have an impact on
treatment outcomes because food assistance has proven increased compliance
with TB treatment.
Madagascar is an island country in the Indian Ocean, off the southeastern
coast of Africa. The Island is a biodiversity hotspot; over 90 percent of
its wildlife is found nowhere else on Earth. The island's diverse ecosystems
and unique wildlife are threatened by the encroachment of the rapidly growing
human population. (end).
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KUNA 241153 Oct 12NNNN