Santo Domingo, RD
Due to the economic crisis created by the expansion of COVID-19 and its effects on the relief of the family income circle, the rate of severe food malnutrition in the Dominican Republic could increase from 1% before the pandemic to 7. 4% in 2021.
The country representative of the World Food Programme (WFP) presented the data, Romain Sirois, in scale to the director of the Daily Liston, Miguel Franjul, after the entity was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
The representative of WFP explained that prior to the onset of COVID-19, the Dominican Republic had managed to reduce its rate of severe food malnutrition to 1%, a very low rate.
He stated that the country had controlled in its degrees of malnutrition through 50% the supported population through the Progress with Solidarity (Prosoli) program. “I mean, the program is impacting, now because of the COVID-19 problem, they’ve replaced it because there are so many other people in the formal and casual sector who have lost their income,” Sirois told Liston Diario’s director.
He added that due to the new situation, WFP had to revise its budget, which in the past had allocated US$11 million for five years, and this year alone had to accumulate the projected budget with another $16 million. was implementing a five-year strategic plan in the country (2019-2023) agreed with the Dominican government, which focuses primarily on the “Zero Hunger” target, which runs on problems of access to food and nutrition education.
The challenges
To achieve “zero hunger” in the Dominican Republic, Siro is under pressure so that all people, especially the most vulnerable, have access to healthy, nutritious and sufficient food throughout the year.
At this point, he noted that the basic food basket costs on average 2. 5 times the country’s minimum wage ($15,000), so it is mandatory to assist families with foods that promise good enough nutrition.
Another challenge, according to the WFP representative, is micronutrient deficiency malnutrition, obesity and obesity, which in 2017 estimated that 2. 7% of gross domestic product (GDP), or just about US$2 billion, the dominican state’s expenditure. to address malnutrition problems. In 2017, it was estimated that 2. 7% of gross domestic product (GDP), or about US$2 billion, was spent across the Dominican state to address malnutrition problems.
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