Significant drop in recipients of supplementary feeding

Preliminary results from monitoring in all supplementary and therapeutic feeding programmes in Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown, show that beneficiary figures have "significantly dropped" in most feeding centres, WFP said.

In its emergency update dated 19 October, which covers the period 8-15 October, WFP said that it has given support, including improvement of medical facilities and provision of drugs has also positively impacted on the condition of the beneficiaries.

It, however, delivered some 50 tons of food to Children's Aid Direct (CAD) centres in Lungi and Port Loko districts, north of Freetown, where 2,500 under-five malnourished children and 5,500 pregnant and lactating women are receiving supplementary nutritional care.

Through school feeding programmes, 42 tons of food was distributed to 11,104 beneficiaries in schools in Mile 91 east of Freetown between 8-14 October, WFP said.

Some 122 tons of food was also distributed to 10,605 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) living in the camps of Kandeyella I and II and Splendid. Through vulnerable group feeding at Blama camp in the east, 12,138 beneficiaries have received 36 tons of food, WFP added.

Meanwhile, the agency noted that the security situation in the capital Freetown, southern districts of Bo and Moyamba and Kenema district in the east remained calm during the reporting period.

"Vehicular movements continue unhindered from Kenema into Revolutionary United Front (RUF) held areas in Kailahun districts [both in the east]," WFP said, adding that civilians from those areas confirmed that vehicles go as far as Koidu in the east.