São Tomé and Príncipe

The limited number of qualified workers in São Tomé and Príncipe is an obstacle to the production of goods and services on the scale needed to meet market demand. High unemployment rates and weak agriculture, fishing and livestock sectors, compounded by the impact of recurring natural hazards prevent national food production from meeting the needs of the population. Food availability and market stability are unpredictable due to limited infrastructure and poor market access. São Tomé’s heavy reliance on food imports causes fluctuations in food prices and affects the livelihoods of families, women, children, the elderly and people living with HIV.

Ranking 137th out of 189 countries in the 2019 Human Development Index (HDI), Sao Tomé e Príncipe falls in the medium human development category. In the 2019 Gender Inequality Index (GII), the country ranked 132nd out of 162 – an indication of the significant challenges it is facing in creating fair opportunities for most women and girls, for whom the national unemployment rate is 42 percent. Access to education and employment among teenage girls is still hampered by high rates of early marriage and pregnancy. Child mortality rates are high, with one-third of every 1,000 children born dying before turning 5. 

The World Food Programme (WFP) has been working in São Tomé and Príncipe since 1976. As part of its country capacity strengthening agenda, WFP aims to reinforce the institutional capacities of the government, national stakeholders and local communities. Driven by a “whole of society” approach, WFP promotes collaboration among governmental bodies, the UN system, the private sector and national non-governmental actors. To enable long-term sustainable results, WFP provides a robust normative and technical methodology to ensure in-country counterparts are in the driving seat at each step, from defining sustainable goals to implementing, monitoring and reporting on the national strategy.