Press Release
Published on December 12, 2022

UN launches project to reduce poverty in severalcommunities in Guinea-Bissau


The UN intends to reduce poverty in Guinea-Bissau through the creation of an emergency and non-contributory social protection system. The project will last for two years.

Three United Nations agencies in Bissau launched this Tuesday a project that aims to reduce poverty through the creation of an emergency and non-contributory social protection system, the international organization said in a statement.

The project, which will last for two years, will be developed in the regions of Bolama/Bijagós, Tomball and Gabu, the “most vulnerable in terms of food insecurity and climate”.

“It is expected that 1,500 vulnerable households will have access to a non-contributory emergency social protection pilot scheme to meet food and nutritional needs”, reads the note.

The project also aims to alleviate the impact of Covid-19 and climate change on “food insecurity of vulnerable girls and boys, women and their families, accelerating the positive impacts on economic and food security”.

The Minister of Women, the Family and Social Solidarity, Conceição Évora, considered that the partnership with the UN in the “domain of social protection” will help the country to achieve “very important results” in the mission to combat poverty.

The project goes against the “persistent difficulty of establishing a comprehensive social protection system, which could be a cornerstone for the country to move from weaknesses to sustainable development”, added Conceição Évora.

Funded by the Joint Fund for the Sustainable Development Goals, the project brings together WFP, the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) and the United Nations Population Fund.

According to the UN, less than 5% of the Guinean population benefits from social security.