Africa-Press – Gambia. To fight against malnutrition and support children under five, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and girls, UNICEF Gambia and WFP jointly signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to deliver services to vulnerable groups and communities in The Gambia.
The official signing ceremony was held at Ocean Bay Hotel, Cape Point, on Wednesday, 13th August 2025.
Speaking before the signing of the MOU, Ms Nafisa Binte Shafique, Country Representative of UNICEF The Gambia, highlighted the importance of this MOU.
This MOU, she dilated, is a bold step forward, “it signals our shared determination to support government leadership in humanitarian action, emergency preparedness and response.” She added that it will strengthen systems at national and subnational levels.
She noted that the MOU aligns with The Gambia’s path to the SDGs, especially SDG 2 and SDG 3, saying it is grounded in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the International Conference on Nutrition Declaration and Plan of Action, with the government’s recovery-focused National Development Plan 2023-2027.
On behalf of UNICEF, she extended a heartfelt appreciation to their steadfast partners at WFP, to the government of The Gambia for its leadership, and to their UN colleagues and all partners together to their Resident Coordinator for coherent and accountable leadership.
Meanwhile, the WFP Country Coordinator, Ms Miranda Sende, disclosed that the food and nutrition security situation in The Gambia remains fragile: “24 percent of the population are food insecure, amongst which 2 percent severe” according to the National Food Security Survey and Nutrition 2024.
She went on to say that Global acute malnutrition among children aged 6-59 months old persists with a prevalence of 8.8 percent as per the Nutrition Sentinel survey 2024. “Chronic malnutrition is as high as 17.8 percent.”
However, she said the collaboration between WFP and UNICEF in addressing malnutrition in The Gambia is vital.
She expressed satisfaction over the signing, saying, “I am honoured and proud to renew and strengthen our partnership through this memorandum of understanding. It will form the basis for our continued joint efforts in addressing malnutrition, food insecurity, and emergency preparedness in The Gambia.”
This partnership will also focus on improving WASH facilities in schools, raising awareness of climate change. And gender equality, she added.
In his remark, Karl Fredreck Paul, UN Resident Coordinator, said the MOU marks a crucial partnership milestone, and it reaffirms the two agencies’ commitment to combine their strengths and expertise to fight all forms of malnutrition in the Gambia. “Particularly those affecting children under five, pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls,” he noted, and more so, it also lays the foundation for cooperation in various other areas, including education, climate change, and social protection.
He further expressed his belief that inter-agency collaboration is indispensable to improving their effectiveness and efficiency.
In conclusion, he commended the work done by UNICEF and WFP and thanked the government for its continued support, “Your dedication and commitment will guide us going forward.”
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