El Salvador
- 10%
- of children under 5 are stunted (impaired growth due to malnutrition)
- 25%
- of children under 5 have anaemia
- 6.3 million
- population
El Salvador has improved its food security, nutrition, gender equality, poverty and security in recent years.
However, it still faces challenges. Limited access to food and nutrition, limited job opportunities, and low incomes lead to irregular migration.
The country is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Situated on the Dry Corridor, phenomena like droughts and tropical storms cause significant damage and losses to crops and other livelihood sources.
Gender inequalities mean women dedicate most of their time to domestic labour and childcare, which limits their opportunities to find paid jobs.
Food price increases – caused by factors including the war in Ukraine, COVID-19 and climate change – have exacerbated many challenges for people already living in vulnerable conditions. This has created even more inequality, poverty and food insecurity.
The World Food Programme (WFP) is working with partners through an approach coined as “By Salvadorans, for Salvadorans”.
This involves helping people secure equal and adequate food and nutrition, better employment opportunities, and resilience at the community level following emergencies.
WFP promotes women's economic empowerment and strengthens emergency preparedness capacity and school meal programmes. Moreover, WFP aims to strengthen food systems by enhancing food production, local consumption and access to markets that offer healthy products – in partnership with the private sector.
What the World Food Programme is doing in El Salvador
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Emergency response
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WFP provides food assistance, including cash, to people affected by multiple crises such as droughts, floods and tropical storms, and the socioeconomic impact of external factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic and global food price increases. WFP supports early-recovery activities that equip beneficiaries with the technical skills to produce food and help diversify their livelihoods. Productive assets are built, including family and community gardens, using climate-smart methods such as drip irrigation, rainwater harvesting and solar pumping systems.
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Strengthening food systems
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WFP has adopted an innovative food systems approach, involving all factors and actors involved in the value chain – from food production to its processing, distribution and consumption. Smallholder farmers have learned to produce sorghum more efficiently for multiple uses, such as the production of Biofortik, a fortified drink served to schoolchildren. Through the INNOVA initiative, small bakers have adopted different recipes and are offering consumers gluten-free bakery products at affordable prices. WFP builds resilient and sustainable food systems through initiatives like gastronomy certification, which develops young people’s skills for potential employment, supports smallholder farmers, and links trainees and local food producers with restaurants and hotels. WFP supports the creation and reactivation of small enterprises, to produce food and diversify livelihoods. WFP uses climate insurance to help communities reduce the risk of unpredictable weather conditions and build resilience.
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National capacity strengthening
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WFP strengthens the capacity of national institutions in areas such as supply chain management, social protection systems, nutrition and education. Based on food security analysis, WFP shares information that contributes to informed decision-making. WFP supports the national school meals programme through initiatives including the production of a nutritional drink.
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Enabling partners
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To support humanitarian and development partners in achieving their programme objectives, WFP provides on-demand services such as cash transfers, logistics, warehousing, procurement of food and non-food items and telecommunications.
El Salvador news releases
Go to pagePartners and donors
Achieving Zero Hunger is the work of many. Our work in El Salvador is made possible by the support and collaboration of our partners and donors, including:
Adaptation Fund
Canada
Central Emergency Response Fund
El Salvador Agency for International Cooperation
European Union
View all
Find out more about the state of food security in El Salvador
Visit the food security analysis pageOperations in El Salvador
Contacts
Office
Bulevard del Hipódromo No. 738, Colonia San Benito, San Salvador, El Salvador
El Salvador
Phone
+503 25071700
Fax
+503 25071742