WFP Logistics – we deliver

Copyright: WFP/Logan Abassi

In 2008, two hurricanes and two tropical storms of unprecedented ferocity struck
Haiti within the space of a few weeks in August and September, killing 300 people , leaving 150,000 people without their homes and caused losses up to 15 percent of gross domestic product.

In response, WFP launched an emergency operation (EMOP 10781.0 "Food Assistance to Flood Affected Population in Haiti") to provide food assistance to an estimated 800,000 people, while also continuing activities under the PRRO and the DEV.

Given the scale of the this natural disaster and restricted access within Haiti, WFP
urgently augmented its logistics capacity to ensure sufficient assets and staff in place to address the logistical challenges in support of the entire humanitarian community.

As a consequence of the damage to inland infrastructure, road accessibility remain limited
in certain areas, leaving entire populations completely cut off.

WFP is leading the logistics cluster providing interagency logistics services, based on priorities set by the humanitarian community. Furthermore, the Logistics Cluster provide information management, cargo tracking/prioritization, customs as well as GIS/mapping services.

The cluster is providing road/ocean support (deployment of 49 all terrain 6x6 truck , tug barge chartered) as part of the disaster response through the special operation 10780.0 "Logistics Augmentation and Coordination in Support of the Humanitarian Community in Haiti").

WFP is also providing critical support to inter-agency logistics facilities that were set up in three sub offices Gonaives, Jacmel and Cap Haitien.

WFP import food in containers by sea, most of it is transferred at Freeport in the Bahamas; a large percentage of food is then sent to Port-au-Prince; the balance goes to
Cap-Haïtien. In few cases, transport is done by ships chartered at the ports of origin,
especially those in the Caribbean. Insufficient port and warehouse facilities in the north of
the country precludes deliveries of large quantities - 50 percent - destined for areas to
be supplied from Cap-Haïtien, so transit through the capital is necessary.

To summarize Haiti continues to face many obstacles that make logistics complex and onerous. The main obstacles are:

• (i) the weakness of the port infrastructure and slow import procedures;
• (ii) the inadequacy of the road network;
• (iii) difficult mountainous country;
• (iv) inadequate local transport capacity;
• (v) worn out and poorly maintained equipment;
• (vi) inadequate warehouse capacity at EDPs and FDPs, which results in more frequent deliveries; The main warehouse of Port-au-Prince, which is in an unsecured area that is difficult to reach, continue to be managed by a local subcontractor
• (vii) the United Nations phase III security measures.