WFP Logistics

Overview
Sudan is the largest country on the African continent and arguably one of the most complex. It is a microcosm of humanitarian challenges: in the western region of Darfur about 2.5 million people (one third of the population) have been displaced by a conflict that broke out in 2003; meanwhile, South Sudan is struggling to rebuild and recover from more than two decades of civil war; and in the East chronic food insecurity, underdevelopment and sporadic conflict are major concerns, all of which also complicates logistical operations in Sudan.

Team
The logistics team in Sudan numbers more than 600 including international and national logistics officers, drivers and warehourse assistants, port captains and staff.

Activities
Port Operations
Port Sudan on the Red Sea is the main entry point for food for both North and South Sudan. There is a dedicated container terminal that is specialized for handling containers vessels. In addition, food consignments for the South may arrive in Mombasa, Kenya, before they are transported by commercial surface transporters to the logistics hubs of Lokichoggio and Koboko.

Storage
Warehouses of different capacities are available almost in every administrative state of the Sudan. The general warehousing condition is good. Warehouses are either privately owned or government owned.
WFP currently uses rented warehouses as well as its own and rub halls for temporary storage and they are available in the following locations: Port Sudan, Kosti, El Obeid, Khartoum, new location:En Nahud, Nyala, El Fasher, El Geneina and Juba.

Surface Transport
All primary deliveries – from the ports to the hubs – are done by the commercial transport sector, primarily by road with less than 10 percent delivered by rail. River barges transport food from Kosti to the river ports of Malakal, Bor and Juba in South Sudan. In addition, the 2009 budget provides for airlift operations if Sudan experiences another major disruption of transport routes.
Secondary deliveries – from above mentioned hubs to extended delivery points (EDPs) or directly to food distribution points (FDPs) – are carried out mainly by road and to a lesser extent by barge. Currently, WFP has numerous commercial contracts with Sudanese, Kenyan and Ugandan transporters to ensure timely delivery of food to the beneficiaries. In addition, WFP currently holds commercial contracts with barge operators for deliveries from Kosti to locations in South Sudan that are inaccessible by road or for which barge transport is more cost effective.

Tertiary deliveries – from EDPs onwards – mainly use local commercial road transport capacity. In areas where such local capacities do not exist or are inadequate to meet WFP needs, tertiary deliveries are made by WFP trucks. WFP maintains a fleet of 147 trucks and three support vehicles in Darfur, and 52 trucks in South Sudan. In addition, WFP maintains commercial contracts for tertiary deliveries by boat in Malakal and Juba, in order to supply the food distribution points that are inaccessible by road most of the year.

Rail
A rail line links the Red Sea to the River Nile. Some rail transport is used as an addition to the other means of overland transport.

Aviation
WFP’s Humanitarian Air Service serves the entire humanitarian community in operating in Sudan and is an essential provider of staff transportation. A fleet of up to 21 aircrafts carries about 15,000 humanitarian passengers each month.

Other WFP Logistics Services
WFP’s special operation in southern Sudan for emergency road repair and mine clearance has so far rebuilt approximately 2,500 km of roads. The main strategic road links connect (a) Kenya from Lokichoggio to Kapoeta, Juba and east of the Nile to Bor heading towards Malakal and (b) Uganda from Yei northwest towards Rumbek and Wau and north to Wunrok. The new roads have meant considerable cost savings for WFP and the wider humanitarian community. They also have supported the deployment of the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) and the return of southern Sudanese IDPs and refugees over newly demined routes.