ECOWAS launches emergency response action under its Post Disaster Humanitarian Assistance to Liberia to address malnutrition and stunting in Todee district, Liberia.

The Project Cooperation and Funding Agreement is in collaboration with the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Agriculture with implementing partner Welt Hunger Hilfe with a value of USD 351,217.00.

It is expected to provide basic food assistance to 2,000 children under the age of five battling malnutrition in rural Montserrado, Todee District and train thirty Community-Based Nutrition Awareness Team with best practices on Nutrition.

Commenting on the initiative, the Resident Representative of the President of the ECOWAS Commission in Liberia Amb. Josephine Nkrumah outlined that the latest move of ECOWAS is in line with plans to reduce the effect of food insecurity that Liberia is challenged with.

The objectives include, providing assistance to strengthen resilience and recovery of vulnerable children to reduce the effect of food insecurity and malnutrition; provide immediate food assistance including the distribution of fortified cereals; and create awareness and knowledge on cultural food habits and nutrition sensitive agricultural practices.

‘As an ECOWAS of the people with the vision of peace and prosperity for all, ECOWAS is committed to ensuring the wellbeing of all community citizens’ Madam Nkrumah stated.

The ECOWAS envoy maintained that the project is part of ECOWAS Protocol on Mechanism Relating to Conflict Prevention, Management, Peace Keeping and Security of Member States.

For his part, the officer in charge of the Department of planning and development at the Ministry of Agriculture, Dennis Waigbe embraced the initiative, noting that the move is a timely intervention that would yield results considering the high rate of malnutrition in Todee district.

‘We are excited as a Government for this initiative because it buttresses previous efforts to curb stunting in Liberia’ he added.

Meanwhile, the Country Director Welt Hunger Hilfe, Liberia country office Hubert Charles assured ECOWAS of full swing implementation.

He acknowledged that the Welt Hunger Hilfe has received sixty percent of funds for first phrase of the project.

The parties pledged to work together for effective implantation and positive impact in Todee District.