World Food ProgrammeThe Provision of Food Aid in Emergency Situations

in Haiti

What is the WFP?

• UN division for the provision of food aid to those unable to provide enough food to feed themselves and their family

• Largest humanitarian organisation in the world

• Headquarters in Rome

• Provides food to 86.1 million people in 80 countries

•Save lives and protect livelihoods in emergencies

•Prepare for emergencies

•Restore and rebuild lives after emergencies

•Reduce chronic hunger and undernutrition everywhere

•Strengthen the capacity of countries to reduce hunger

Mission Statement

• Oils, grains, flours, beans, salt• Dietary supplements for malnutrition

• High energy snacks

• Whenever possible bought from local producers using monetary donations from governments and organisations

A typical WFP aid pack

WAR POVERTY

FLOODS& DROUGHTS

WHAT CAUSES FAMINE AND STARVATION?WHAT CAUSES FAMINE AND STARVATION?

HUNGER AND HEALTH CARE?

Increases risk of infection eg.

tuberculosis

Deficiency diseases eg. scurvy

Diarrhoea

Dehydration

Coma

Miscarraige

Heart Failure

Death

Emergency ResponseRapid Response Programmes and Emergency

Operation Plans

Rapid Response• WFP Country Director for in the affected nation declares an emergency

• Opens local WFP and WFP-affiliated food stores

• Requests redirection of global WFP stores to the affected areas

• Director draws up an Emergency Operation (EMOP) to direct initial response

logistics How are global food stores redirected to

disasters?

~30x

Around thirty storage vesselsat sea at any one time

Aid is delivered to those who needit by any means available

+ Repair roads, bridges etc.

+ Build warehouses to store food

+ Evacuate the malnourished

+ De-mine aid routes

What Other Aid Do WFP Provide?

Republic of Haiti• Caribbean nation• Shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic

• Former French colony• First black nation to achieve independence

• Presidential republic• 76 percent of Haitians live with less than US$2 per day and 56 percent on less than US$1 per day

Florida

Dominican RepublicCuba

HAITI

A troubled Nation...2004 Haitian Rebellion• Long history of political turmoil• President Aristide elected in 2001 for the second time• Aristide became unpopular with US and French economic interests• September 2003, gang leader Amiot Metayer found killed with heart cut out, his brother blames Artiside after crackdowns on gang violence• These gangs along with opposition groups mount rebellion against Aristide’s government• Aristide flees Haiti as rebels approach capital, claims the US supported the rebellion• US and UN step in, occupy Haiti and stabilise the country until elections in ’06

Haitian Flooding & Storms• Like most of the caribbean, lies in the RSMC Miama hurricane basin• Subject every year to severe tropical storms and cyclones• Deforestation worsens the resulting floods• Flimsy shanty towns easily demolished by the high winds and flooding• Densely populated urban areas regularly hit• Hurricane Jeanne leaves 3,000 dead in 2004• Struck again by 4 hurricanes in August-September 2008 killing over 300, leaving 800,000 in need of humanitarian aid

World Food CrisisWestern farming subsidies caused developing countries to become

dependent on importing food from the West. Inflation of global food prices due

to various factors inc. droughts and overpopulation therefore led to an

uncontrollable rocketing of food costs in countries like Haiti, leading to starvation

and unrest.

WFP response in haiti

emop prroEMERGENCYOPERATION

PROTRACTED RELIEF &RECOVERY OPERATION

leads into

PRRO: Food Assistance for the Relief and Protection of Vulnerable Groups Exposed to Food Insecurity

• PRROs are proposed with detailed logistics, budgets and expected results and submitted to the Executive Board for approval• This PRRO was approved by the board and began operation January 1st 2008 and will conclude Dec 31st ’09• Budget ~US$75mil, providing 80,000 tons of food to 6 of the 10 departments of Haiti• Sept 08’ following the storms, Country Director submits EMOP calling for US$499,996 of food aid based on estimated no. of ppl. affected x food requirements x duration of dependency + logistical costs• Joined in Nov ’08 another project costing another US$30mil providing a further 25,000 tons of food aid to the flood victims

SUCCESSES, COMPLICATIONS & MISTAKES

AID AND ACCESSIBILITY

Flood Damaged Roads Mountainous Terrain

Gang Violence & Theft

Damaged Ports

Locating Displaced Populations

Danger of Further Disasters

Weak National Government

Agriculture & DeforestationDeforestation on

the island

worsened

environmental

impact of floods,

topsoil

across the country

was destroyed and

Q4

crop yields were

20% below that of

2007,

following the

floods...

Hazards & Lack of Infrastructure

In the first days

following the

floods, roads were

so badly damaged

and land so water-

logged helicopters

were often unable

to deliver any

supplies to isolated

& rural areas

Social Unrest & Gangs

Warehouses full of

donated rice stolen

by organised,

armed gangs

planning to sell

them on were

found in the

western city of

Carrefour

Bureaucracy

Prior to the floods,

initial supplies of

WFP aid intended to

support Haiti

through the world

food crisis wasted

in harbors as

government

bureaucracy

intended to quell

corruption left tons

of food rotting on

freighters for days

Economics & The Food CrisisFood price crisis

hadn’t been

effectively controlled

before the storms

hit, worsened by

political instability

sparked by ousting

of the president

following riots,

contributing to

overall hunger on

the island.

High fuel prices also

delayed the

transportation of

food aid to remote,

inland areas.

Ousted President Edouard-Alexis

Logistical Difficulties

Difficult logistical

decisions delayed

the provision of

infrastructure and

delivery of aid eg.

delays when the UN

could not decide

which of 8

destroyed bridges

should be replaced

However without the WFP and other food aid orgsthe food security situation in Haiti would be far worse...

The WFP fed 700,000 people in Haiti by the end of 2008...WFP now focuses on food-for-work and

school mealsprogrammes to improve long term food

security following the emergency situations of that year...

Thank you!wfp.org/how-to-help

1,2,4,7: http://www.wfp.org/photos3: http://www.photographersdirect.com5: http://community.webshots.com/user/stovetop916: http://www.alifeofbenevolence.com/tag/world-food-programme/8: http://www.youtube.com/user/transafrik9: http://unusual-things.blogspot.com10: http://www.reseaucitadelle.blogspot.com11: http://www.abcnews.go.com/12: hhtp://dr1.com13: Ghosts of Cité Soleil © Independent Pictures 200614: http://blog.cleveland.com/world_impact/2009/01/large_KENYA_PIRACY-Dec12-08_Meye.jpg15: © AFP Photo16: http://blog.syracuse.com/news/2007/08/large_082807Bridge2MG.jpg17: FEWS.NET18: http://5starsurf.com/images/Kabic-Overhead.jpg