Togo | World Food Programme

Togo, officially the Togolese Republic (République Togolaise) is one of the smallest countries in Africa and home to 8.6 million people. Situated in the Gulf of Guinea, Togo serves as a critical corridor to enable the COVID-19 response to landlocked countries in the Central Sahel region.

Togo’s economy depends heavily on both commercial and subsistence agriculture, with both sectors providing employment for 60 percent of the labour force. Socio-political and economic turmoil, coupled with devastating floods and now COVID-19 have seen a deterioration in its food and nutritional situation.

Nearly 1.3 million (22 percent of the population) require humanitarian assistance and over 280,000 people are at risk of falling into food insecurity. This includes an 18 percent rise in Moderate Acute Malnutrition and a 6.8 percent rise in Severe Acute Malnutrition. 15.2 percent of these children are at grave risk if nutrition treatments are not received.

The World Food Programme (WFP) is currently implementing an emergency operation to respond to COVID-19 whereby 252,500 vulnerable people are assisted with food and nutrition assistance, and providing logistical services to government and humanitarian partners. WFP continues to support the national school feeding program to enhance a national model that permits a more inclusive and integrated approach, and diversified school meals.

What the World Food Programme is doing in Togo

COVID-19 response: WFP is providing food and nutrition assistance to 252,500 people between November 2020 and January 2021.
Support to national school feeding programme: WFP is providing technical assistance to the national school feeding programme through school gardens and by facilitating the link between smallholder farmers and schools. The national programme supports 90,000 school children in 304 schools.
Supply chain: The Port of Lomé is WFP’s main Global Commodity Management Facility Hub in West Africa, currently holding an inventory of 4,116 metric tons of food, of which 80 percent are nutritious products. WFP in Togo is handling commodities in support to the global pandemic response as well as emergency operations in Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali.