THE World Food Programme Lesotho (WFP) has revealed that its overall actual expenditure for the year up to 2021 stood at only US$ 12.5 million (M192.99 million).
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June 10, 2022
NEO SENOKO
3 min read
WFP spends only M192 million in 2021
WFP Lesotho Country Director, Aurore Rusiga
Story highlights
Covid-19 disrupts operations
More resources received under emergency response activity
In its 2021 annual country report published this week, the WFP said the expenditure was 81 percent compared to the revised implementation plan done in the same year and at 69 percent of the approved annual needs based plan (NBP).
It said the implementation for most of the activities was delayed due to the Covid-19 protocols that included movement restrictions, closing of the key stakeholders’ offices and businesses, restrictions in social gatherings and social distancing.
“Funding constraints resulted in supply chain interruptions for some activities which further led to low implementation levels,” said the report.
The 2021 implementation plan was revised from US$ 13.4 million to US$ 15.5 million, the latter representing 86 percent of the NBP.
“This was because more resources were received under the emergency response activity following the drought and Covid-19 that adversely affected most of the vulnerable population, particularly in rural areas,” the WFP said.
“As a result, the bulk of the contributions received for 2021, about US$ 7 million went towards emergency response support. The remaining balance was split across the rest of the Country Strategic Plan (CSP) activities.”
In 2021, WFP prepared a budget revision, to increase its CSP budget by USD 7 million. This increase was due to the extension of the emergency response to continue support for vulnerable people affected by drought and impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
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The revision also increases the budget ceiling to accommodate a new on-demand service provision arrangement for the procurement of non-food items for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
WFP’s country strategic plan funding stands at 41 percent which is equivalent to US$ 48.6 million for the five-year’s approved needs based plan of US$ 118.3 million following the budget revision. This funding level is comprised of US$ 23.4 million for the previous two years, US$ 25.1 million for 2021 and US$ 12.6 million for the upcoming years.
In 2021, WFP’s annual needs-based plan (NBP) amounted to US$ 18 million and the total resources received including carried over resources was US$ 13.4 million.
Although the total funding received remained at 74 percent compared to the approved NBP, other activities were only funded at 21 percent excluding US$ 3.8 million, which is earmarked for upcoming years.
Funding for 2021 included carry-over balances from previous years and a few donors’ direct contributions which were mostly earmarked for emergency response and the school feeding programme.
Contributions in the same year were from the USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), Japan, Germany, the European Civil protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), Canada and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as well as multi-year funding from the Adaptation Fund.
WFP also received support from internal funding mechanisms. The organisation has appealed for more funding for the remaining half of its CSP with the shortfall remaining at 77 percent compared to the requirements until June 2024.
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