Honduras country strategic plan (2023–2027)

CSP approved at EB November 2022 session

Honduras is a lower-middle-income country that has had sustained economic growth for the last two decades; however, high poverty rates, extensive income inequality and risks such as crime and climate variability threaten peace and humanitarian aid efforts and hinder mid-to-long-term initiatives, affecting development gains and causing human capital drain through migration. These issues pose challenges to diverse populations, particularly women, girls and indigenous and Afro-descendant groups, who are already vulnerable to food insecurity in a country with high stunting levels, limited dietary diversity, micronutrient deficiencies and rising rates of overweight and obesity. The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and two consecutive hurricanes in 2020 aggravated an already fragile situation, putting extra pressure on livelihoods and generating income loss, especially in urban areas, where informal work is widespread and young people lack employment and training opportunities.

With the support of WFP and partners, the Government has made significant progress towards Sustainable Development Goals 2 and 17, such as by improving food security (measured by the prevalence of underfeeding) from 2014 to 2018; developing a national pathway for food systems transformation as called for at the 2021 United Nations food systems summit; and recently signing a declaration of commitment for the global school meals coalition established at the summit. WFP has promoted capacity strengthening for national systems linked to emergency preparedness and response, climate resilience, school feeding and support for nutritionally vulnerable groups.

WFP will work with the Government of Honduras to tackle the root causes of food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty, contributing to more prosperous and healthier communities in which people can thrive and live safely. To that end, this country strategic plan will contribute to the development of more diverse and resilient rural and urban food systems and livelihoods and strong, well-functioning national social protection and emergency preparedness and response systems that develop and protect human capital and reduce the assistance needs of the most vulnerable populations. The country strategic plan is strongly focused on strengthening the capacity of national and local partners, promoting behaviour change leading to improved diets, advancing gender equality and healthy masculinity and reducing gender-based violence. The country strategic plan will have a nationwide rather than a specific geographic approach, with a larger focus on urban and peri-urban areas than the previous plan.

In line with national priorities and needs and the United Nations sustainable development cooperation framework, the country strategic plan has five outcomes:

➢ Outcome 1: Crisis-affected populations meet their basic food security and nutrition needs before, during and in the aftermath of emergencies and strengthen their resilience and capacity to respond to future climate shocks and other crises, reducing their vulnerability.

➢ Outcome 2: Vulnerable populations in prioritized rural and urban areas, including those recently affected by emergencies, build and strengthen their livelihoods and generate higher, more reliable and steadier incomes, contributing to better food security and nutrition outcomes and sustainable climate-resilient food systems all year round.

➢ Outcome 3: Vulnerable populations in prioritized rural and urban areas have stable and adequate access to comprehensive social protection services and programmes that increase their level of food and nutrition security by 2027, contributing to the development of human capital in Honduras.

➢ Outcome 4: The Government of Honduras further builds and strengthens its national social protection systems and its capacity to design, implement, monitor and evaluate inclusive nutrition- and gender-sensitive shock-responsive social protection policies and programmes, boosting people’s trust in public institutions by 2027.

➢ Outcome 5: Key partners in Honduras benefit from efficient services all year round.

The coordinated work under the five country strategic plan outcomes incorporates a triple nexus approach and strong collaboration with the Government at the national and local levels, as well as with United Nations partners, especially the other Rome-based agencies. Civil society, academia and the private sector will remain key allies throughout plan implementation.