The UN World Food Program (WFP) and the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan signed a Memorandum of understanding on the implementation of the new WFP Country Strategic Plan for 2023-2027. Press service of the UN WFP Office in the Kyrgyz Republic reported.
The plan reflects key national priorities, which include sustainable development with a focus on human capital development and social protection, disaster risk management and climate change adaptation, disaster mitigation, and school development as a platform for healthy eating.
The planned budget for the five-year plan is $91 million. Funding sources for the plan will be sought by the World Food Program along with the Cabinet.
«The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the global food crisis have pushed food prices up. This hinders access to nutritious food and increases vulnerability and food insecurity in the country. Poverty has risen sharply from 20 percent in 2019 to 33 percent in 2021. This means that 2.2 million people live below the poverty line. In 2022 alone, prices increased by 15 percent, especially for basic products such as bread, fruits and vegetables, which makes inflation in Kyrgyzstan one of the highest in Central Asia,» the UN WFP notes.
The new Country Strategic Plan seeks to expand social protection, including during crises, access to healthy food through school meals, promote rural development and disaster risk management. It will contribute to strengthening the capacity of the republic at all levels and strengthening assessments, programs and monitoring, together with the Cabinet of Ministers, other UN agencies and development partners.
