September 2013 W elcome to the seventh issue of the UN in Lesotho Newsletter! The UN was created to be an agent of change, not just an object of change. From its inception, the UN has been an incubator of ideas, a builder of norms, and an arbiter of standards. The month of September saw the start of the 68 th Session of the UN General Assembly. This is where representatives of all Member States find consensus on difficult issues; initiate studies and make recommendations to promote international political cooperation; develop and codify international law; advocate for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms; and ensure international collaboration in the economic, social, humanitarian, cultural, educational and health fields. In this issue, we focus on reducing hunger and improving health while at the same time protecting the environment. We are looking at sustainable projects that have socio-economic benefits as well as environmental awareness. Effects of the African Armyworm outbreak in late January 2013 left a bitter taste in the mouths of many Basotho. Due to the outbreak, the 2012/13 crop production has been at an all-time low level thus, aggravating the prevailing food crisis. Programmes such as Cash-for- Assets, Child Grants and School Feeding help mitigate the impact of the food crisis. Social protection is one of the key priority sectors in the National Strategic Development Plan 2012-2017 (NSDP) and in the National Social Development Policy finalized in 2013. Maternal and child mortality for Lesotho remains very high. This is so although the country is implementing low cost evidence- based interventions focussing on reducing maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality. We note that sexual and reproductive health- related life skills are essential for marginalised groups. As the country is currently off-track in achieving health-related MDGs, the UN supports the government plans to establish a School of Medicine. As the world celebrated the International Day of Democracy, Lesotho reflected on the twenty years of constitutional democratic rule. With just over 800 days left to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), it is incumbent upon all of us to show renewed urgency to accelerate the various development efforts. ’ Inside this issue: Steps towards establishment of School of Medicine Control and preparedness for armyworm Social protection systems: Lesotho experience Celebrating population day Sehlabathebe National Park given World Heritage status Linking environmental and health perspectives Cash for Assets programme brings change Marking 20 years of democratic rule in Lesotho Empowering youth from marginalized communities UNITED NATIONS DELIVERING AS ONE IN LESOTHO Number 7 The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and an inter-ministerial Lesotho Government delegation recently travelled to Brazil to learn new skills for managing the country’s school feeding programme. Lesotho Government ministers and officials learnt about the Zero Hunger strategy which originated in Brazil. The Strategy is being developed at the WFP Centre of Excellence Against Hunger, established in the capital, Brasilia, in partnership with the Government of Brazil. The centre was set up in 2011 to enable capacity development of national Uniting for healthier school meals The UN Resident Coordinator’s Corner World Food Programme supports 125,000 children each month with school meals in Lesotho. (continued on page 2)
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September 2013
W elcome to the seventh issue of the
UN in Lesotho Newsletter! The UN
was created to be an agent of
change, not just an object of change. From its
inception, the UN has been an incubator of
ideas, a builder of norms, and an arbiter of
standards.
The month of September saw the start of
the 68th Session of the UN General Assembly.
This is where representatives of all Member
States find consensus on difficult issues;
initiate studies and make recommendations to
promote international political cooperation;
develop and codify international law; advocate for
the protection of human rights and fundamental
freedoms; and ensure international collaboration
in the economic, social, humanitarian, cultural,
educational and health fields.
In this issue, we focus on reducing hunger
and improving health while at the same time
protecting the environment. We are looking at
sustainable projects that have socio-economic
benefits as well as environmental awareness.
Effects of the African Armyworm outbreak
in late January 2013 left a bitter taste in the
mouths of many Basotho. Due to the outbreak,
the 2012/13 crop production has been at an
all-time low level thus, aggravating the prevailing
food crisis. Programmes such as Cash-for-
Assets, Child Grants and School Feeding help
mitigate the impact of the food crisis.
Social protection is one of the key priority
sectors in the National Strategic Development
Plan 2012-2017 (NSDP) and in the National
Social Development Policy finalized in 2013.
Maternal and child mortality for Lesotho
remains very high. This is so although the
country is implementing low cost evidence-
based interventions focussing on reducing
maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality.
We note that sexual and reproductive health-
related life skills are essential for marginalised
groups. As the country is currently off-track in
achieving health-related MDGs, the UN
supports the government plans to establish a
School of Medicine.
As the world celebrated the International Day of
Democracy, Lesotho reflected on the twenty years of
constitutional democratic rule.
With just over 800 days left to achieve the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), it is
incumbent upon all of us to show renewed
urgency to accelerate the various development
efforts.
’
Inside this issue:
Steps towards establishment of School of Medicine Control and preparedness for armyworm
Social protection systems: Lesotho experience Celebrating population day
Sehlabathebe National Park given World Heritage status Linking environmental and health perspectives
Cash for Assets programme brings change Marking 20 years of democratic rule in Lesotho
Empowering youth from marginalized communities
UNITED NATIONS DELIVERING AS ONE IN LESOTHO
Number 7
The United Nations World Food
Programme (WFP) and an inter-ministerial
Lesotho Government delegation recently
travelled to Brazil to learn new skills for
managing the country’s school feeding
programme.
Lesotho Government ministers and
officials learnt about the Zero Hunger
strategy which originated in Brazil. The
Strategy is being developed at the WFP
Centre of Excellence Against Hunger,
established in the capital, Brasilia, in
partnership with the Government of Brazil.
The centre was set up in 2011 to
enable capacity development of national
Uniting for healthier school meals
The UN Resident
Coordinator’s Corner
World Food Programme supports 125,000 children each month with school meals in Lesotho.
(continued on page 2)
#6/2013 UNITED NATIONS LESOTHO
RE ‘MOHO
2
Improving control and preparedness for armyworm
In response to the armyworm out-
break, which affected Lesotho in January
and February 2013, the Ministry of
Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS)
and the United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) worked
hand-in-hand to strengthen, control
and provide preparedness capacities
to manage more effectively this
emerging risk for Lesotho.
The Government and FAO’s
response plan received financial
support from the European Commission
for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection
Directorate General (ECHO).
Eight districts of Lesotho including
lowlands and the Senqu Valley areas
registered nearly 35,000 hectares
on the 10th of September.
The Lesotho Meteorological
Services (LMS) collaborates in the
implementation of the EWS since rain
patterns are a major factor allowing
the reproduction of armyworm.
ECHO funding will also provide
the extension network with quality
equipment including over 300 sprayers,
400 personal protective equipment
kits, 1000 liters of chemicals, 100
pheromone traps and 100 rain gauges,
complementing both control and EWS
activities.
affected at different degrees with Maseru,
Berea, Leribe and Mafeteng making up
around 90per cent of the affected areas.
ECHO’s generous support amounted to
330,000 USD and will allow MAFS and
FAO to conduct training for extension
staff and communities in the functioning of
an Early Warning System (EWS) to detect
the presence of armyworms before they
multiply and reach devastating numbers
limiting their impact and the amount of
chemicals needed to control them in any
future potential outbreak.
Trainings for 250 participants are
being conducted by technical staff from
MAFS during the months of September
and October 2013. these trainings started
governments in the areas of school
feeding, nutrition, and food security.
While in Brazil on mission in August
2013, the Lesotho team visited national
institutions as well as schools, small
producers, members of civic society and
local government officials.
officials integrate school feeding into
broader national safety net policies
and poverty alleviation programmes,
and to support local agricultural
production.
For more information about the
Centre of Excellence Against Hunger
visit: http://www.wfp.org/centre-of-
excellence-hunger
Each year, some 125,000 children
living in mountainous and difficult-to-reach
areas of Lesotho receive a hot lunch
through the national School Meals
Programme. This programme is currently
managed by WFP.
The visit which is heralded as an exam-
ple of the South-South cooperation between
countries, is designed to help Lesotho
(Continued from page 1)
Uniting for healthier school meals
(Left) A healthy maize field before being attacked by armyworms in Leribe district; (right) The damaged maize field after armyworms