Egypt

Influential But Hungry

In the midst of positive economic growth, this regional powerhouse is facing a set of long-standing development challenges: poverty, food insecurity, malnutrition, spatial and social disparity, and gender-based inequality – with climate shocks on top of it all.
WFP/Egypt

Reaching the Vulnerable

With a growing population of more than 100 million, Egypt is the most populous country in North Africa and the Arab world, and an influential geopolitical actor in the region.

In line with Egypt’s Sustainability Development Strategy: Vision 2030, the country has transformed the design, delivery and scope of its national social protection programs and the National School Feeding Program to better support vulnerable groups.

While maintaining positive economic growth, Egypt faces a set of long-standing development challenges, including poverty, food insecurity, malnutrition, spatial and social disparity, and gender-based inequality, as well as climate shocks.

According to the 2022 Global Hunger Index, Egypt sustains a moderate level of hunger, ranking 57 out of 121 countries. Food affordability, quality and safety remain challenges as Egypt continues to rely on global markets for more than half of its staples. Malnutrition is another public health concern, with a 13 percent stunting rate, and 4 percent of children under 5 years of age being underweight.

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two boys smile while holding tree branches WFP/Mohammad Gamal
Make a difference in Egypt

Hunger Stats

WFP’s Work in Egypt

Our programs complement government efforts to help the most vulnerable Egyptians by securing basic food and nutritional needs; building resilience for improved livelihood, employability and recovery from economic shocks; and strengthening national institutional capacities to support at-risk populations.
5 girls from Egypt, standing beside their school.

Girls from Giza are getting ready for school after 2 years at home because of COVID-19.
Social Protection
In line with the national school feeding program, WFP provides nutritious, daily in-school snacks (fortified date bars) to community school children in Egypt’s poorest regions. To further incentivize retention in schools and combat child labour and early marriage, WFP provides cash assistance for food to families of community schoolchildren. Together with partner Ministries, we also support digital education, through the use of digital tools and teacher training, and economic inclusion of youth and women through entrepreneurial training, skills development, and micro loans.
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Mahmoud with six of his nine children.
Refugees and Migrants
In coordination with other humanitarian organizations, WFP provides assistance to vulnerable refugees to help meet their basic food needs. This is done through cash assistance for food, nutrition support for pregnant and nursing women, and livelihood training to improve employment opportunities.
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In the photo: In Southern Egypt, the Government and WFP are supporting smallholder farmers increase their resilience in the face of climate change. Farmers are supported to practice intercropping by growing fast-growing groups (like tomatoes, cucumber, eggplant and beans) between the lines of their main crop. This technique improves soil, helps protect the main crop from changes in temperature, and helps famers earn extra income while waiting for the harvest of the main crop.

WFP supports vulnerable communities in rural Upper Egypt and border governorates in improving their resilience to socio-economic shocks and climatic changes through various interventions including the rehabilitation of assets, technology transfer and diversification of incomes. Activities that do not entail human interaction are continuing during the COVID-19 crisis while group activities such as awareness-raising sessions have been put on hold based on the Government’s curfews and suspension of public gatherings.
Nutrition
Under the ”First 1,000 Days” nutrition program, WFP and the Ministry of Social Solidarity provide cash top-ups to pregnant and nursing women, under the national social protection program “Takaful and Karama” (Solidarity and Dignity), to help secure good nutrition. WFP also provides technical support to national nutrition activities and awareness-raising campaigns.
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A mother and her daughter in Egypt
Resilience Building
WFP collaborates with the Government to strengthen smallholder farmers’ and Bedouin communities’ capacity to adapt to the effects of climate change and improve agricultural productivity. We do this through improved agricultural and irrigation practices, developing connections to markets, financial literacy and inclusion and cash-based transfers.
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In the photo: Ayyad Ali, a farmer in Luxor, Egypt, proudly stands in his land, that is now consolidated with other land plots. WFP and the Government are helping Ayyad to increase his crop production by introducing improved agricultural techniques.

WFP supports vulnerable communities in rural Upper Egypt and border governorates in improving their resilience to socio-economic shocks and climatic changes through various interventions including the rehabilitation of assets, technology transfer and diversification of incomes. Activities that do not entail human interaction are continuing during the COVID-19 crisis while group activities such as awareness-raising sessions have been put on hold based on the Government’s curfews and suspension of public gatherings.
Capacity Strengthening
WFP provides technical and capacity-strengthening support to national institutions and governmental bodies, improving their capacity to adopt technological solutions in education and for the collection, management and analysis of information; strengthening supply chains; and improving regional and global knowledge-sharing.
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