Dominican Republic country strategic plan (2024–2028)

CSP approved at EB November 2023 session

The Dominican Republic is an upper-middle-income country that is classified as a small island developing state. The country has maintained sustained economic growth over the past three decades and has achieved significant progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, including in reducing undernourishment and addressing nutrition issues. Nonetheless, food insecurity continues to affect an estimated 14 percent of the population and is particularly concentrated in poorer and more vulnerable parts of the country, including rural and disaster-prone areas, and among vulnerable groups such as woman-headed households. In addition, insufficient economic access to nutritious foods and diverse diets, especially among boys, girls, adolescents and women, contributes to anaemia, overweight and obesity due to the consumption of unhealthy food and is leading to the “double burden” of malnutrition. The country is geographically exposed to frequent disasters, which have increased in number and severity in recent years, affecting food systems. While the Dominican Republic has significant and growing capacity, the Government and partners continue to require calibrated support from WFP in addressing the complex challenges it faces.

This country strategic plan has been formulated with the aim of complementing national efforts and deepening partnerships aimed at achieving zero hunger. It is focused on five outcomes, which are aligned with national priorities, the United Nations sustainable development cooperation framework for 2023–2027 and WFP’s strategic plan for 2022–2025, with an emphasis on providing assistance and capacity strengthening aimed at ending malnutrition, building resilience and becoming better prepared to respond to crises, in line with WFP's comparative advantages:

➢ Outcome 1: Crisis-affected populations at risk of food insecurity and malnutrition in the Dominican Republic are able to meet their food and other essential needs at all times.

➢ Outcome 2: Food- and nutritionally insecure populations in the Dominican Republic have access to diverse diets throughout the life cycle by 2028.

➢ Outcome 3: Climate-vulnerable populations in the Dominican Republic, including smallholder farmers and other actors in food value chains, are more resilient and benefit from sustainable, healthy and equitable food systems by 2028.

➢ Outcome 4: Public, private and civil society institutions at the national and local levels in the Dominican Republic have strengthened systems that improve resilience in the face of shocks, climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and food and nutrition by 2028.

➢ Outcome 5: Government institutions and humanitarian and development actors in the Dominican Republic receive efficient and effective services by 2028.

The country strategic plan strengthens WFP’s role as a strategic ally and technical advisor to the Government and deepens existing partnerships and joint work with national programmes and institutions in pursuit of Sustainable Development Goals 2 (zero hunger) and 17 (partnership for the goals) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It foresees enhanced engagement with other United Nations entities, cooperating partners, civil society organizations, the private sector and donors, providing flexible, adaptable and scalable operational solutions backed by WFP’s analytical and evidence-generating capacity.