Where emergencies are sudden, roads unusable or ground conditions dangerous, UN/WFP turns to the skies to get food in fast.
UN/WFP relies on airlifts to get food into some of the world's most hostile and inaccessible places, or to remote areas where much of the infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, for example in the wake of the cyclone which hit Myanmar in 2008.
But WFP Humanitarian Air Services also known as WFP/Aviation doesn't just transport food cargos. It also provides air transport for humanitarian aid workers involved in assessments and food distributions. And it doesn't just serve WFP. As a result of the expertise it had gained over many years, in 2003 WFP was given the responsibility for providing safe, reliable and cost-efficient air transport for all UN agencies involved in relief operations.
Working on behalf of the humanitarian community, WFP Humanitarian Air Services operated 48,000 hours in 2008, transporting 361,000 passengers and 15,200 metric tons of cargo globally.
WFP Aviation does not own or directly operate aircraft. Instead it provides air services by chartering aircraft to meet the needs of emergency and humanitarian support for UN Agencies and other cooperating partners.
WFP Aviation operates in 16 country offices for regular operations. They are in charge of day-to-day standard and emergency operations including planning flight schedules, booking passengers and cargo and ground handling. WFP Rome headquarters provides centralized support and ensures that the air service operation is effective and cost-efficient.
Through our first participation to the airshow in 2007, we have been able to take our message to significantly more flight charter companies over the last two years," said Cesar Arroyo, head of UNWFP Aviation Safety Unit.
Dubai Airshow, organized by F&E Aerospace, set a precedent in corporate social responsibility in 2007 by being the first exhibition to donate space to the UNWFP, which charters aircraft and sources logistical assistance from hundreds of contractors to deliver aid in times of disaster and crisis and have once again re-affirmed and demonstrated their commitment to the United Nation's humanitarian relief World Food Programme (UNWFP) by more than doubling its free-of-charge exhibition space for this year.
As a result of a high-profile exposure during the airshow, The United Nations World Food Programme Aviation aims to increase the number of air service providers used for aid programmes.
