Benin Transitional ICSP (January 2018 - June 2019)

T-ICSP approved in August 2017.

Revision 01 approved by the Board in November 2018.

Revision 02 approved by the ED in April 2019

The Republic of Benin is a low-income and food-deficit country, with an estimated population of 10.9 million and a gross domestic product (GDP) of USD 762.1 in 2015. Despite some progress, food insecurity, wasting and stunting, and micronutrient deficiencies persist among large segments of the population, with disparities among regions and between rural and urban households.

In September 2016, the Government of Benin presented its roadmap for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to bilateral and multilateral partners. This roadmap is broken down into several stages, the main ones being: i) ownership by SDG stakeholders, ii) integration and budgeting of SDGs into national policies and planning, iii) financing of SDGs, and iv) the establishment of a monitoring framework for Benin. The Government intends to maintain its leadership in the operationalization of the SDGs and its alignment with the Government Action Programme (GAP).

The transitional Interim Country Strategic Plan (t-ICSP) supports the Government in its efforts and takes important steps towards WFP’s strategic direction for a strengthened national and local capacity whereby the Government and communities independently own, manage and implement food and nutrition security programmes by 2030.

This t-ICSP presents WFP’s assistance to the Republic of Benin for the year 2018. It updates Benin CP 200721 (7/2015–6/2018) and extends it by six months until December 2018. Benin Country Programme 200721 has three main components: i) school feeding under a multi-sector approach (integrating education, nutrition-sensitive intervention, health, agriculture, hygiene and sanitation), ii)  nutrition, and iii) assets creation for the most vulnerable districts, in accordance with the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (2014-2018) for Benin. This reflects consultations with partners and is in line with the National Poverty Reduction Strategy.

In line with the strategic orientation of the Government, this WFP transitional Interim Country Strategic Plan aims to contribute to the following strategic outcomes:

• School-aged children in Benin have adequate access to safe and nutritious food all year-round.
• Children aged 6-59 months and pregnant and lactating women and girls in targeted areas have improved nutritional status in line with national target by 2021.
• Smallholder and vulnerable communities in Benin have improved livelihoods and stronger resilience to recurrent shocks by 2018.

The t-ICSP will contribute to the achievement of the Government Action Programme (GAP, 2016-2021), its Strategic Plan for Food and Nutrition Development, its Strategic Plan for Agriculture Development, the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (2014-2018), and the Sustainable Development Goals 2 and 17. It is further aligned with WFP’s strategic results 1, 2 and 3.