Organization of American States
Meeting of the Committee on Hemispheric Security
Washington, 23 October 2007
Latin America & the Caribbean
Forging Partnerships in Preparing for and
Responding to Natural Disaster in Latin America
& the Caribbean
Delivered by:
Gordana Jerger
Deputy Regional Director
United Nations World Food Programme
Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Bureau
Forging Partnerships in Preparing for and Responding
to Natural Disaster in Latin America & the Caribbean
About WFP
WFP in Latin America
Emergency Preparedness and Response
OAS & WFP- Forging Partnership
1. Analysis and Knowledge on Disaster Reduction, Mitigation and
Management / Emerging Issues – Contribution to Public Policies
2. Operational Preparedness: EPR Knowledge, Capacities and Systems
Development
3. Operational Coordination and Support in Disaster Response
WFP at a Glance
• WFP is the United Nations frontline agency in the fight against
global hunger and the largest humanitarian agency worldwide
• Founded in 1963; Governed by an Executive Board, consisting
of 36 Member States of the United Nations and FAO
• Relies entirely on voluntary contributions
• Decentralized structure: some 80 country offices, 6 Regional
Bureaux, 9 liaison offices, 5 support offices and HQ in Rome
• Double mandate - operations aim to:
meet emergency needs
support economic & social development
• WFP works to put hunger at the centre of the international
agenda, promoting policies, strategies and operations that
directly benefit the poor and hungry
Alejandro.chicheri@wfp.org /2007
The Reality of Hunger
• Over 850 million people worldwide
face hunger, more than the
populations of USA, Canada and the
European Union combined
• Over 52 million people suffer from
hunger and undernutrition in LAC
• Hunger and undernutrition are the
main cause of mortality in the region
• Natural and man-made disasters
perpetuate the intergenerational
hunger cycle
Alejandro.chicheri@wfp.org /2007
WFP’s Strategic Objectives
•
Save lives in crisis situations, protect livelihoods and
enhance resilience to shocks
•
Support the improved nutrition and health status of
children, mothers and other vulnerable people
•
Support access to education and reduce gender
disparity in access to education and skills training
•
Strengthen countries and regions capacities to
establish and manage food-assistance and hunger
reduction / eradication programmes
Alejandro.chicheri@wfp.org /2007
Programme Categories
WFP operates through various four “programme categories”:
•
Emergency Operations (EMOP)
•
Protracted Relief and Recovery Operations (PRRO)
•
Development Operations (Development Projects and Country
Programmes)
•
Special Operations
All WFP operations are funded on a voluntary basis
Alejandro.chicheri@wfp.org /2007
WFP in Figures, 2006
Operational activities in 78 countries
88 million beneficiaries including 59 million children
Of these, 64 million beneficiaries in emergency and recovery
operations
•Total expenditure: US$ 2.9 billion
•A total of 4 million metric tons of food delivered by land, sea & air
•Total number of employees: 12,000
•3,200 international and local NGOs partners
Alejandro.chicheri@wfp.org /2007
WFP in Latin America & the Caribbean
Field network
• 12 country offices
• 33 sub-offices
• over 1,000 partners incl. national and
local counterparts
• 6 million beneficiaries on average / year
Regional Bureau in Panama
Alejandro.chicheri@wfp.org /2007
Strategic Focus in LAC
TWO MAIN PILLARS:
•Advocacy and Support to Governments in Eradicating
Child Chronic Undernutrition (i.e. the hunger side of
Millennium Development Goal 1)
•Disaster Preparedness and Response - enhancing resilience
through capacity development efforts and initiatives at the
national and regional level
The impact of disasters compounds the pre-existent vulnerability,
perpetuating the cycle of hunger and food insecurity
Cross-cutting aspects
•Strategic alliances with national and regional institutions and international
organizations (OAS, SICA, CDERA, ISDR, UN, OPS, AGCI, White Helmets)
•Public policy development and standard setting initiatives
•Emphasis on institutional capacity development at local, national &regional level
Alejandro.chicheri@wfp.org /2007
WFP’s Areas of Excellence in Emergency
Preparedness and Response (EPR) in LAC
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Extensive presence at field level (knowledge of local context)
Public policies on food security and nutrition
At the heart of the UN System in emergencies
Food security analysis and nutritional surveillance systems
Vulnerability analysis and risk mapping (VAM)
Early warning, contingency planning, operational response
Logistics management and coordination
Development of innovative IM systems
Alejandro.chicheri@wfp.org /2007
UN Humanitarian Response Depots (UNHRD)
and LACERN Network
BRINDISI
DUBAI
PANAMA
MALAYSIA
El Salvador
Ecuador
Barbados
GHANA
LACERN
Latin America and the Caribbean Emergency Response Network
Alejandro.chicheri@wfp.org /2007
WFP Strengthening Capacities in EPR
EFSA Training
Warehouse and Commodity
Management Training
Central America
Preparedness Workshop
EFSA Training
Logistics Support
Hurricane Dean - Aug 07
Needs Assessment
Hurricane Stan - Oct 05
Logistics Support
& Needs Assessment
Hurricane Felix - Aug 07
EFSA Training
EFSA Training
EFSA training
Warehouse and Commodity
Management Training
Logistics Support Floods Feb 05
Assessment Support
Floods - Nov 06
EFSA Training
Needs Assessment
Frosts in Highlands - Aug 07
Logistics Support &
Assessment
Earthquake – Aug 07
EFSA Training
Logistics Support Floods May 06
Food Security and Nutritional
Surveillance Workshop
Logistics Support Floods –
May 07
Logistics Support
Floods - Dec 06
EPR Capacity Development Activities & Emergency Preparedness and Response, 2005-2007
WFP’s Responses to Natural Disasters
LAC, 2005- 2007
When
Country / Event
People Reached
January 2005
Bolivia – Drought
525,000
January 2005
Guyana – Floods
20,000
April 2005
Cuba – Drought
636,400
April 2005
Cuba – Hurricane
109,800
April 2005
Peru – Frosts
September 2005
Honduras – Hurricane
149,000
October 2005
El Salvador – Hurricane Stan & Volcanic Eruption
181,000
October 2005
Guatemala – Hurricane Stan
160,000
October 2005
Nicaragua – Hurricane and Rat Plague
May 2006
Suriname – Floods
December 2006
El Salvador – Seismic Swarm
February 2007
Bolivia – Floods
August 2007
Peru – Earthquake
August 2007
Belize & Jamaica – Hurricane Dean
10,500
September 2007
Nicaragua – Hurricane Felix
80,000
TOTAL
81,200
16,500
Technical assistance
9,000
90,000
100,000
2,160,400
Alejandro.chicheri@wfp.org /2007
Recent Response Operations in support to LAC Countries
Functioning hubs and triangular cooperation
HURRICANE
DEAN
AUGUST 2007
HURRICANE
FELIX
SEPTEMBER
2007
PERUVIAN
EARTHQUAKE
AUGUST 2007
Support to Latest Emergencies: Hubs Activated, Governments Engaged,
Roster Staff Deployed
Alejandro.chicheri@wfp.org
/2007
Alejandro.chicheri@wfp.org /2007
OAS & WFP - Areas of Potential
Collaboration in EPR
1. Analysis and Knowledge on Disaster
Reduction, Mitigation and Management /
Emerging Issues – Contribution to
Public Policies
• Disaster Risk Reduction and Mitigation
• Disaster Preparedness and Response in
Emergencies
• Food and Nutritional Security in Emergencies
• Climate Change Issues
Alejandro.chicheri@wfp.org /2007
OAS & WFP - Areas of Potential
Collaboration in EPR
2. Operational Preparedness: EPR Knowledge, Capacities
and Systems Development
•
•
•
•
Disaster Early Warning Systems
Contingency and Operational Planning
Logistics Capacity Assessments
Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping (VAM)



Food and Nutrition Monitoring Systems
Hazard and Risk Mapping systems and services
Emergency Needs Assessments
• Information Management
• Training, Capacity building, Simulations and Best practice
Alejandro.chicheri@wfp.org /2007
OAS & WFP - Areas of Potential
Collaboration in EPR
3. Operational Coordination and Support in Disaster Response
• Emergency and Recovery Needs Assessments
• Food Security Emergency Response and Rehabilitation
Operations
• Logistics Coordination and Commodity Tracking (Food and
Non-Food)
• Information Management
• Civil-Military Interface, Support and Coordination
Alejandro.chicheri@wfp.org /2007
Organization of American States
Meeting of the Committee on Hemispheric Security
Washington, 23 October 2007
Latin America & the Caribbean
Forging Partnerships in Preparing for and
Responding to Natural Disaster in Latin America
& the Caribbean
Delivered by:
Gordana Jerger
Deputy Regional Director
United Nations World Food Programme
Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Bureau