During his meeting with officials from the Ministry of External Affairs, Mr. Chapman highlighted the significant progress of the work of the WFP in Saint Lucia, through collaboration with the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice and Empowerment, in the area of social protection. The recently implemented initiatives of the WFP include the expansion of the Public Assistance Programme (PAP) to support vulnerable households affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, development of a household vulnerability index and the execution of a Logistics Capacity Assessment to aid in the response to natural disasters.
The Government of Saint Lucia and the WFP are additionally working towards the establishment of further cooperation in disaster risk financing, including greater coverage for impacted populations under the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility, as well as institutional strengthening of the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice and Empowerment.
Mr. Guillaume Simon, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, congratulated Mr. Chapman on his new appointment as the first ever WFP Representative in the Caribbean and reiterated the gratitude of the Government of Saint Lucia for the unwavering commitment of the WFP towards the island’s development.
