17³Ô¹Ï

Sierra Leone is a small but densely populated country on the North Atlantic coast of West Africa.

The economic effects of the war in Ukraine crisis have worsened food and nutrition security, alongside economic decline and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, in an already food-deficit country. Spikes in petrol prices have driven up food, transport and other costs. This has in turn reduced people¡¯s purchasing power and increased widespread poverty.

Despite an improvement in levels of stunting (impaired development due to malnutrition), over a quarter of children are still affected. ¨Cundermining long-term human productivity and Sierra Leone¡¯s economic prospects.

Agriculture is the backbone of Sierra Leone¡¯s economy. However, it is dominated by smallholders practising subsistence farming, with traditional methods and limited use of improved seeds and fertilizers. It is also fragmented and characterized by declining yields, due in part to an increasingly unpredictable climate.

The climate emergency increases the risk of droughts and floods, and any increase in sea levels affects the water supply and thereby the country¡¯s agriculture. 

The 17³Ô¹Ï (WFP) supports the Government through a range of activities. We use food, cash, nutrition assistance and capacity strengthening, empowering young women and smallholder farmers in particular. Increased national preparedness for climate-related shocks is among WFP¡¯s priorities, along with school meals and food-security analysis and monitoring.