In Numbers
1,052 mt of food assistance distributed
US$ 550,277 cash based transfers made
US$ 5.3 million 6 months (June-November 2018) net funding requirements
239,692 people in May 2018
Operational Updates
• In May, heavy rainfall continued, causing flooding and landslides mainly in the hilliest areas of Western and Northern Rwanda. The Government reported about 250 deaths, 50,000 displaced people, 10,000 destroyed homes, 6,000 hectares of crop losses, and severe infrastructure damages. Additionally, reports also indicate an expected loss of 30 to 40 percent of bean production and near-total loss of the rice harvest in small marshland areas with poorer drainage systems. Thus, many poor households in severely affected areas will likely be affected by food shortage in the coming months.
• WFP provided food assistance to 239,692 people, including camp-based refugees and Rwandan vulnerable populations, through general distributions, cash transfers, nutrition interventions, asset creation activities, school meals programmes, as well as assistance to small-holder farmers in Rwanda.
• In May, WFP distributed 1,052 mt of assorted food commodities and transferred US$ 550,277 of cash to 72,396 refugees and returnees to purchase food from the local market. With limited access to livelihood activities, refugees in Rwanda continue to depend on WFP monthly assistance to meet their food and nutritional needs.
• Despite the generous contributions from funding partners, funding shortfalls continue to affect WFP operations. In the refugee operation, WFP was forced to provide rations cut at 85 percent in May to stretch the few resources available.
• WFP continues to support smallholder farmers in Rwanda by providing training in post-harvest loss reduction and linking them with formal buyers and agriculture service providers including banks and financial institutions. Over 47,000 smallholder famers around Rwanda are assisted through this programme monthly. To date, during the 2017/2018 agricultural calendar, WFP has facilitated the sale of approximately US$ 2 million of food commodities from supported smallholder farmers to private sector buyers.