August 23, 2017

Food Security Situation

• Ecuador hosts the largest number of refugees and asylum-seekers in Latin America. Of the over 60,000 refugees currently residing in the country, 95 percent are Colombians in need of international protection. 

• While Ecuador is a middle-income country, it remains prone to natural disasters, including floods, earthquakes, droughts and volcanic eruptions. The effects of climate change exacerbate these disasters and adversely impact water availability, as well as food security.

Food Assistance Programs

• The Office of Food for Peace (FFP) targets approximately 18,570 food-insecure Colombian refugees and Ecuadorian host community members in the northern provinces of Ecuador.

• FFP partners with the UN World Food Program (WFP) to provide vulnerable families with practical training on topics such as nutrition, income-generating strategies and gender-based violence prevention, and electronic vouchers that allow them to purchase local, nutritious foods. 

• In April 2016, an earthquake struck Ecuador’s northern coast. FFP immediately supported WFP’s emergency response by partnering with them to provide food vouchers to 20,000 earthquake-affected people in urgent need of food assistance.

Food for Peace Contributions

Total Contributions:

FY 2017 contribution based on funds obligated to date