Panafrican News Agency

Gambia: Gambia moves to end chronic food, nutrition insecurity

Banjul, Gambia (PANA)- Gambia's component of the Multinational Progmamme to Build Resilience to Food and Nutrition Insecurity in the Sahel (P2RS) which is financed by the African Development Fund (ADF) was launched here Monday.

The project will be implemented in seven countries of the Sahel most affected by food crises, namely Burkina Faso, Chad, Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal at a total cost of about euros 204.84 million.

Gambia will receive a grant of euros 12.85 million for the government to carry out the project.

According to Evans Ntagwabira, task manager of the African Development Bank, the project aims to contribute to efforts being made to achieve a lasting solution to chronic food and nutrition insecurity in the Sahel.

While contributing to increased food and livestock security through production and productivity and increased incomes, he said the project aims also to build resilience to climate change and develop trade and regional integration in the framework of long-term agricultural sector financing.

“We all know in the Sahel that the number of suffering from chronic food and nutrition insecurity, poverty and vulnerability to the effect of climate change is rising steadily”, Ntagwabira stated.

He pointed out that the project will target the most vulnerable households, stock breeders, agro-pastoralists and traditional fishermen.

Special attention will be paid to women and children of tender age and the nutrition actions will cover 450,000 mothers and children.

In Gambia, the project will strengthen the farmer input and output supply chain through the use of an e-voucher system in the development of water and land infrastructure for agriculture, livestock, fishery and aquaculture as well as management of natural resources.

-0- PANA MSS/AR 26Oct2015