WFP Logistics - Bangladesh

Over the years in Bangladesh, WFP has upgraded 135,000 kilometers of road and planted more than 42 million trees. WFP in Bangladesh helped the world's largest development programme (Vulnerable Group Development) and has given the country its first fortified flour mills and its first school feeding programme.

In order to meet the needs, the Country Office (CO) Logistics unit runs the following systems:

For Country Programmes' cereal shipments, coordination and monitoring of activities are carried out by the relevant Government of Bangladesh (GoB) authorities in the operation. The activities include the receipt, storage and transportation of commodities from the port of entries up to the nearest extended delivery sites (EDPs).
For Country Programmes' non-cereal shipments, the WFP standard guidelines of tendering, contracting, and monitoring are followed for the transportation of commodities from the port of entries to final delivery points (FDPs).
The cargo, which is cleared by WFP, is stored at strategic locations where non-government organizations (NGOs) can collect their supplies as per their Field Level Agreements (FLAs). The commodities may also be delivered to designated NGOs' warehouses as per the agreed upon in the FLA.

There is an operational agreement with the Government on the shared use of Public Food Distribution Systems (PFDS) and other Logistics facilities. This involves merging WFP cereal shipments with GoB stocks, and using their clearing, storage and transport facilities based on a cost-sharing basis from port-of-entry up to 641 strategically located Local Storage Depots (LSDs) across the country.

The monitoring and coordination tasks are challenging since logistically the task is cumbersome and delicate, but the system is cost-effective in catering to the programme requirements., and also allows WFP during emergency operations to withdraw from Government stocks available at the nearby Local Supply Depot (LSD)

The detailed cereals process from the port to the Local Supply Depot, as per the agreement with the Government, uses PFDS with WFP handing over the bill of lading to the Government. The Government carries out the discharge, storage and transport. WFP can then withdraw its requirements from the nearest LSD and pay only 50% of the total cost of the food handled, stored and transported. This is efficient and minimizes the time-frame of deliveries especially during emergency operations where any quantity can be withdrawn from a nearby warehouse.