Tunisia Country Strategic Plan (2018-2021)

CSP approved at EB.1/2018

Revision 02 approved by the RD in July 2020

Revision 03 approved by the RD in April 2021

Revision 04 approved by the CD in November 2021

Although levels of hunger in Tunisia are generally low, regional disparities render the poorest people in certain areas vulnerable to food insecurity. Access to nutritious food is hindered by economic barriers such as the low purchasing power of the most vulnerable people. Tunisia faces a double burden of malnutrition, including micronutrient deficiencies, combined with overweight and obesity.

In Tunisia, WFP has successfully positioned itself in a technical advisory role through capacity strengthening activities. As a result of this collaboration, the Government recognizes school meals as a social safety net that can enhance stability and social protection, increase access to education and nutrition and contribute to rural development.

This country strategic plan is based on a 2017 strategic review of food security and nutrition in Tunisia, which was conducted through an inclusive process that brought together government line ministries, national civil society and private-sector stakeholders and development partners. The strategic review identified gaps hindering and opportunities for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 2 and highlighted school meals as a core component of the national social protection system that can be leveraged to ensure access to food for the most vulnerable groups in the country and to promote community resilience through a home-grown school meals approach.

The country strategic plan for Tunisia envisages the continuation of WFP’s technical assistance and policy advice, leveraging WFP’s successful partnerships with the Government and other national and international stakeholders to achieve the plan’s strategic outcome – “National institutions in Tunisia have strengthened capacity to implement enhanced school meals and social protection programmes that advance food security and nutrition by 2022”.  WFP will provide policy advice and technical assistance to national institutions implementing school meals and social protection programmes. It will work with the Government to strengthen regulatory frameworks and tools, provide technical assistance in upgrading the current decentralized school meals model and facilitate the piloting of innovative implementation modalities.

The country strategic plan is aligned with Tunisia’s ongoing reform of the education sector and its sustainable school meals strategy, as well as with the United Nations development assistance framework for the period 2015–2019, particularly pillar III of the framework, on social welfare and access to high quality social services. The planned activities will contribute to the achievement of WFP’s Strategic Result 5 “Developing countries have strengthened capacity to implement the Sustainable Development Goals” (Sustainable Development Goal target 17.9) and support Tunisia’s attainment of Sustainable Development Goals 2 (targets 2.1 and 2.2) and 4.