The Gambia country strategic plan (2024–2028)

CSP approved at EB February 2024

One of the smallest countries in Africa, the Gambia has a population of 2.6 million, 63 percent of whom live in urban areas and 44 percent are under the age of 14. Per capita income has barely increased in the last three decades, recorded at USD 637 in 1991 and USD 772 in 2021. The national poverty rate was 53.4 percent in 2020 and poverty is mostly concentrated in rural areas, where it affects 76 percent of the population. Nearly 75 percent of the poor and 91 percent of the extremely poor are farmers.

The Gambian economy is highly exposed to shocks and relies heavily on remittances, tourism and rain-fed agriculture; the latter contributes 25 percent of gross domestic product, employs 70 percent of the population and is the source of livelihoods for 80 percent of the rural population. The country is vulnerable to fluvial, coastal and rainfall flooding and to coastal erosion. Food insecurity increased from 8 percent in 2016 to 27 percent in 2022. Food inflation averaged 14.5 percent in 2022 and was mainly driven by global commodity market shocks and local currency depreciation.

The Gambia ranked 174 out of 191 countries in the Human Development Index in 2022. The primary school enrolment rate stagnated during the 2000s but picked up significantly from early 2010s. The upward trend coincided with a renewed commitment from the Government to increasing participation in education, including by increasing the coverage and quality of the national school feeding programme, which WFP supported. The primary school net enrolment rate improved from 65.8 percent in 2013 to 81.5 percent in 2021.

This country strategic plan is based on the strategic orientation of the Gambia’s national development plan for 2023–2027 and the United Nations sustainable development cooperation framework for 2024–2028. It envisages a continuation of WFP’s support for shock response, human capital development, climate resilience and technical assistance, mainly to strengthen the national social protection system. WFP will leverage its successful and long-lasting partnerships with the Government and other national and international stakeholders to achieve four outcomes:

➢ Outcome 1: Crisis-affected populations in the Gambia, including those affected by seasonal shocks, can meet their basic food and nutrition requirements during and in the aftermath of shocks.

➢ Outcome 2: Children, pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls, vulnerable populations and people at risk of malnutrition in the Gambia benefit from better access to healthy diets and essential services that improve their health, nutrition and educational status by 2028.

➢ Outcome 3: Communities whose livelihoods are at risk in the Gambia, including smallholder farmers and other actors in nutrition-sensitive value chains, have improved livelihoods and increased resilience to climate change impacts and other socioeconomic shocks by 2028.

➢ Outcome 4: National systems, institutions and actors have strengthened capacities to achieve zero hunger, tackle vulnerability and increase the human capital of the Gambia by 2028.

The country strategic plan provides support in strategic areas prioritized by the Government and will endeavour to respond to identified challenges related to gender inequality. In addition to its contributions to Sustainable Development Goals 2 and 17, the plan will enhance the Gambia’s capability to achieve Sustainable Development Goals 1, 3, 4 and 11. Implementation of the country strategic plan will contribute to WFP strategic outcomes 1, 2, 3 and 4.