By Fatou Sillah
More than 262,000 people in The Gambia are at risk of food insecurity, Vice President Muhammed B.S. Jallow told the National Assembly on Wednesday, citing a national assessment conducted earlier this year.
Mr. Jallow said an estimated 262,432 people were identified as being at risk, according to a Cadre Harmonisé assessment conducted in March 2026 to evaluate acute food and nutrition insecurity across the country.
“I wish to inform this august Assembly that, according to Cadre Harmonisé, the total estimated number of people at risk of food insecurity is 262,432,” Mr. Jallow said.
The vice president disclosed the figure while responding to a question from the National Assembly member for Latrikunda Sabiji during a question-and-answer session with lawmakers.
Mr. Jallow said the government, through the National Nutrition Agency, or NaNA, was implementing several programs aimed at cushioning vulnerable households from the effects of food insecurity.
Among them is the NAFA cash-transfer program, which he said currently reaches 19,449 households, or an estimated 155,504 people. Beneficiary households receive 1,500 dalasis a month to help cover basic needs, improve food consumption, and provide access to more diverse diets, he said.
The government is also carrying out social and behavioral change programs through radio and television broadcasts, community outreach, advocacy accompanying cash transfers, and social media campaigns, according to the vice president.
Those initiatives are intended to improve household knowledge and practices related to health and nutrition, early childhood development, adolescent health, and family planning, he said.
Mr. Jallow said the government was also implementing three contingency emergency-response projects aimed at cushioning households from the effects of the global fuel crisis. About 96,000 households are expected to receive emergency cash assistance under those programs, he said.
Responding to a question from the National Assembly member for Central Badibou about the relationship between food security and the money allocated to the programs, Mr. Jallow said the interventions were primarily designed to address nutrition, with cash assistance serving as a complementary measure.
“I think the honorable member will recall that the question is actually about nutrition, and that is why NaNA’s concentration is on nutrition,” he said.
Mr. Jallow said the cash transfers were intended to help improve nutritional outcomes, particularly for mothers and lactating women. He added that the financial assistance was accompanied by education on dietary choices and other practices intended to improve nutrition.
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