In Numbers

• 194 mt of food assistance distributed

• 0 cash based transfers made US$0 m six months (December 2018 – May 2019) net funding requirements

• 52,342 people assisted in November 2018

Operational Context

Armenia is an upper-middle income, landlocked, net food importer country, and is vulnerable to external shocks.

Since its independence in 1991, the border closure with neighbouring Turkey and Azerbaijan has constrained the country’s economic development. According to the latest National Statistical Service data, the poverty rate reached 29.4 percent in 2016.

WFP has been present in Armenia since 1993. Initially an emergency operation, WFP’s work has since evolved to development assistance since 2000. WFP is operating under the Transitional Interim Country Strategic Plan (TICSP) from January until December 2018.

The results of the ongoing National Strategic Review of Food Security and Nutrition will shape WFP Armenia’s five year Country Strategic Plan (CSP). The CSP (2019-2023) will leverage its current core programme towards an inclusive, innovative and transformative model to strengthen national capacities and systems, including nutrition. It will also explore pilot approaches and systems for greater impact.

Operational Updates

• On 5 November, Armenian Minister of Healthcare Mr. Arsen Torosyan and UN World Food Programme Representative in Armenia and Country Director Ms. Jelena Milosevic discussed future cooperation and joint efforts for 2019 – 2024. The partners highly appreciated efficient cooperation, acknowledging the importance of the school feeding programme for Armenia. The parties also agreed to develop a specific action plan for further partnership and cooperation including all stakeholders with a focus on Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger and Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals.

• On 12 November, Governor of Armavir Province Hambardzum Matevosyan, WFP Country Director Ms. Jelena Milosevic, and WFP programme staff discussed further how to enhance the cooperation to benefit more school children in the Province. The newly appointed Governor highly appreciated the efforts of WFP in the country and Armavir. Currently only 50 percent of the schools in Armavir are included in WFP’s school feeding programme. The parties agreed to jointly take steps to include more schools in the Programme. A follow up meeting is planned for the first week of December to discuss concrete steps and activities for the coming months.

• WFP presented the role of the school feeding programme within the social protection system and the achievements recorded so far in Armenia at the “Role of Social Protection in the Sustainable Development Agenda Conference” that was organised as a joint effort of UNICEF, the World Bank, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of Armenia and the Armenian Association of Social Workers. The presentation was based on three studies conducted by WFP : Scoping Study on Social Protection and Food Security, National Strategic Review of Food Security and Nutrition as well as Assessing Poverty Alleviation through Social Protection: School Meals and Family Benefits.