![]() Addressing adolescent nutrition is necessary in order to break the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition through improved access to information and services. This is further complicated by high rates of teenage pregnancy with early motherhood impacting on adolescent girls’ own health and their ability to care for their infants, who are often underweight. In Sierra Leone, malnutrition is a key factor contributing to high rates of child and maternal mortality. There are a number of European companies heavily invested in the mining and large-scale farming sectors with access to significant resources. Sierra Leone has a heavy dependency on foreign aid. The infant mortality rate, while dropping is still very high at 81 deaths per 1,000 live births and the under-five mortality rate is 109 per 1,000 live births, close to the highest in the world. More than half of the population of Sierra Leone lives on less than €1.25 a day and life expectancy is 55 years old. Sierra Leone is ranked 182 out of 189 countries on the 2020 United Nations Human Development Index (HDI) - Ireland is currently ranked 2. On top of this, the Ebola epidemic, which struck Sierra Leone in 2014, significantly set back the country’s development agenda. However, significant economic and development challenges continue to face the country as it builds systems and services for its people. Some of the ongoing challenges include extremely low levels of human development, significant gaps in basic service delivery, a lack of employment opportunities, low incomes and widespread corruption. There is also good rainfall and agricultural potential. The country is abundant in natural resources, including bauxite, rutile, iron ore, diamonds and gold. Sierra Leone is currently ranked 163 of 190 in the World Bank’s Doing Business report. The security situation in the country is stable. Since the end of the conflict in 2002, Sierra Leone has made considerable progress towards peace and development. The conflict left more than 50,000 people dead, much of the country’s infrastructure destroyed, and over two million people displaced in neighbouring countries. Between 19, the country was devastated by a brutal civil war. Sierra Leone achieved independence from the UK in 1961 and was ruled by one party from 1968-1992. citizens – in particular women - are more empowered to engage with inclusive and accountable democratic institutions and processes.girls access and benefit from quality education.women and girls are empowered to realise their potential and their rights.women and children have improved nutritional status.Our Strategy identifies four core outcomes for our work: Our long-term ambition is that, through political and policy engagement and development cooperation, women and girls living in poverty will contribute to and benefit from a more inclusive, resilient and equitable Sierra Leone. We have set out our objectives in our five year “ Ireland in Sierra Leone ” Strategy, which runs from 2019 – 2023. These have been long-term high-impact initiatives centred around our core values of combatting poverty and addressing inequality and vulnerability, governance and rule of law, rights and services for women and girls, education, health, nutrition and food security. Since then, Irish Aid has invested over €200 million in development initiatives through programmes funded directly from Headquarters, by the Embassy and through partnership with Irish, international and local NGOs and UN agencies. We first opened a Development Cooperation Office in 2005 and upgraded to an Embassy in 2014 as further evidence of our commitment to continue to deepen and strengthen the bilateral relationship and close ties. ![]() Ireland has been supporting the people of Sierra Leone to rebuild their country since the end of an eleven year civil war in 2002. © Phil Behan - DFAT Ireland and Sierra Leone ![]() Women's empowerment in Kunike Barina Chiefdom, Tonkolili Region, Sierra Leone. Proportion of population living on less than $1.25 a day: ![]()
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