JICA HOLDS 2024 ANNUAL REVIEW FOR THE NILE PROJECT.

By Bazio Doreen.

Partners for Community Health and Development Organization (PACHEDO) and Network for Action Against Malnutrition (NAM) held an annual review meeting for the Nutrition Improvement and Livelihood Empowerment Project (NILE) project funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The meeting was convened to review the project period for November 2023 to December 2024, although the project ends in 2026

The project being implemented in Ayilo I and II refugee settlements seeks to improve access to nutrition services among persons with low weight, adolescents, and children below 5 years through behavior change and better livelihoods and resilience of refugees. The project targets 32,272 direct beneficiaries (nutrition = 30,720; livelihood = 1,532) and 18,544 indirect beneficiaries (nutrition = 15,400; livelihood = 3,104).

The Representative of the RDO, OPM – Pakele, appreciated the milestones of the intervention but observed the need to expand the project to other settlements since the problem cuts across the whole district.

Hon. Kaijuka Richard Arthur, the District Vice Chairman, thanked JICA for offering a helping hand to the government to fight malnutrition.

At least 4 out of 10 households in Uganda are moderately or severely food insecure, according to Uganda’s 2024 National Population and Housing Census (NHPC) report. Uganda also currently sits in 95th position out of 125 countries according to the 2023 Global Hunger Index. In West Nile, 48% of households are severely food insecure, according to the NHPC report.

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