On Wednesday 13 May 2020, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Food Programme (WFP) in the Congo, together with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Humanitarian Action launched in Brazzaville, a joint cash transfers initiative amounting$750,000, to support 7,000 households representing 34,000 people in vulnerable households in urban areas. This initiative aims at mitigating the social effects of COVID.19 related lockdown measures by allowing access to healthy and nutritious food to the vulnerable groups in 5 neighbourhoods of the urban agglomeration of Brazzaville.

The launch took place in the presence of the Minister of Social Affairs and Humanitarian Action, the UN Resident Coordinator, the World Food Programme Representative, the United Nations Development Programme Resident Representative, and their respective teams.

These cash transfers will enable the beneficiaries from poor households to purchase basic foodstuffs using Airtel Money system to meet their immediate needs. The identification of beneficiary vulnerable households was based on the national social register and will serve as an example for larger social protection efforts to follow up on the socio-economic impact assessment of COVID-19 underway by the United Nations system under the overall leadership of the Resident Coordinator, the technical lead of UNDP and in close partnership with the Congo Government national COVID-19 Task Force and development partners.

                                                                          Mariam OUEDRAOGO Communication officer