Isna Aulia Fajarini joined the UNICEF Nutrition Team in June 2021, after getting her master’s degree in public health from Johns Hopkins University. Her knowledge of anaemia, babies with low birth weight and obesity helps her provide substantive support to school-based nutrition programmes for children in Tegal District in Central Java. The programme targets some 2,000 fourth graders and comprises various elements from student and teacher-led nutrition education to expanding de-worming programmes, and beyond.

In Lebanon and Gaza, high unemployment, soaring costs of living and limited social assistance at the national level have forced millions into poverty. Lebanese people, in particular, suffered financial and humanitarian setbacks following the explosion at the Port of Beirut in 2020.  With the Lebanese pound incurring a loss of more than 90 per cent of its value to the economic challenges that continue to limit any growth — the conflict in Ukraine adds more difficulties — the biggest of them all, a decrease in food imports.

When Esi took up her position as UN Volunteer Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, she immediately identified implementation bottlenecks as the main problem with FAO projects in the country. Prior to her arrival, projects required, on average, up to two or three no-cost extensions to complete deliverables. This was beyond the project timeline, which could take up to two years.

Across the globe, there is an increasing trend in overweight and obesity among children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 years. According to estimates of the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 340 million or almost 18 per cent of this age group were overweight or obese in 2016, compared to four per cent in 1975.

The RESIGUI project delivers cash transfers and nutritional supplementation to 20,000 Guinean households. Funded by the European Union to the tune of eight million Euros, the project also assists communities in market gardening, rice cultivation, processing, storage and marketing of agricultural products.

This year, thirty UN Volunteers have been deployed in support of WFP operations in the Arab States. Of these, 23 have served in Lebanon, taking up roles in monitoring and evaluation, risk assessment, nutrition, public information and programme support. UN Volunteer Jad Bayram is an Operational Information Management and Performance Reporting Officer.  He contributes to knowledge products, including situation reports, country briefs, fact sheets and annual reports.

UN Volunteers serving with WFP make a difference every day. They bring their expertise and experience to the table, while helping the organization work towards its goal of zero hunger. 

Three years ago, I left Italy to join the WFP team in Mali, a magnificent country of around 19 million inhabitants. As I had visited the country while attending the Bamako Sub-Regional Conference on Female Genital Mutilation in 2006, I was excited to rediscover the its unique culture, beautiful nature and vibrant marketplaces. 

Despite significant improvement in food security during the last 20 years, many Vietnamese face undernutrition, overnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. To ensure food systems contribute to better nutrition, it is essential to strengthen the capacities of various stakeholders including national governments, academia and the private sector, to mainstream nutrition in their policies and investments.

Hyo Jeong Jung, engaged with WFP in Kyrgyzstan, has just completed her assignment as UN Volunteer Migration and Employment Specialist. She successfully developed a research paper on migration and food security that will now help the programme team to integrate migration into a new food security project.