Copyright: WFP/C. Schurpf

Since 2007, Guinea has experienced strikes, violent popular protests and the temporary imposition of a state of emergency, which blocked all activities in the country and led to a serious deterioration of the security situation. A rapid evaluation mission in May 2008 found that households had become more vulnerable in terms of food security, especially in urban areas.

Guinea is also subject to the effects of conflicts in several neighbouring countires. Guinea's Forest Region has become refuge for hundreds of thousands of refugees from Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Côte d'Ivoire. The influx of refugees over the past two decades has had negative effects on local resources and the living conditions of the local population.

The Country Programme has three components: the school feeding component, which seeks to promote access to education, particularly for girls; support for rural development; and supplementary nutrition programmes for malnourished women and children and for people living with HIV/AIDS.

The PRRO targets food-insecure people in areas negatively impacted by the presence of refugees and where former refugees were integrated. The centre-pieces of the project are food-for-work/training activities in support of both Guinean and refugee populations and the emergency school canteen activity through which WFP provides take-home rations to girls enrolled in upper grade primary school to encourage them to complete their education. Other support activities include assistance for vulnerable populations in nutritional and HIV/AIDS programmes. A budget revision was approved to encompass new needs over the period July to December 2008 in response to high food price shocks and meet necessary food needs within targeted vulnerable households extending food distribution to Conakry, Middle, Upper Guinea and Lower Guinea.

In spite of military rule, security remains volatile. The government is unable to address the increasing wave of violence due to other internal commitments such as the fight against public corruption and drug trafficking. The government has arrested senior police and army officers including the son of the late President on drug related offenses.

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